Fire Emblem: The Silent Dragons
by Zulera301
Summary: The forces of Hoshido and Nohr peer beyond their own enmity towards one another to discover the truth of who—and what—is behind the conflict the two nations have perpetually locked themselves in. An alternative take on the storyline of "Revelation" focused primarily on character development, designed to flesh out the many different faces of Fire Emblem Fates (without self-inserts).
1. Chapter 1: Forgotten Memories

**AUTHOR'S NOTES:** _Once again Zulera301 ventures into something besides Hunger Games! With the recent release of Fire Emblem Fates both stateside and even more recently in Europe, I figured I would celebrate the game and its colorful roster of characters by writing a fanfic... and to try and make better sense of the choppy writing the game(s) offered. There will obviously be spoilers, primarily for the Hidden Truths DLCs as well as the "Revelation" storyline, but hopefully with enough original twists to keep it exciting._ _This also means less idiot ball and irrational behaviour, and a lot more sense behind the events that transpire throughout the story. We might also touch on some of the less-seen backstories of some of the other characters as well.  
Even then, I also acknowledge that this story might not be for everyone. It might even be "how Zulera301 thinks Fire Emblem should have gone", but if there are others who enjoy it as well, then that just makes it better. Still... those expecting epic battles or hot steamy romances in every chapter will likely walk away disappointed. Whatever the case, if you feel the need to leave a negative review to tell me you don't like the story, go ahead (or the opposite if you like it). But if you don't tell me what parts you like or dislike, odds are nothing's going to change and all I can really say is "so sorry mans". Bonus points for those with accounts though, because then I can answer any questions directly and personally.  
Rated T (possibly inclining towards M) for violence, blood, some coarse language, copious alcohol references, and occasional suggestive themes.  
Happy Reading!_

 **PROLOGUE: HIDDEN TRUTHS**

 **CHAPTER 1: Forgotten Memories**

 _Sing with me a song of Tears and Despair…_

An air of discomfort hovered over Castle Shirasagi as tensions between Hoshido and Nohr grew stronger by the day. Queen Ikona had passed away only recently, and even though the new queen, Mikoto, was kind and generally well-received, the remainder of the family was still not over the loss.

Mikoto had not come to Hoshido alone, however. With her were a pair of twins: a boy and a girl that King Sumeragi had never had any trouble considering his own as well, especially in the absence of his first wife.

The discomfort was not so much the lingering attitude from Ikona's death a couple years prior, as much as it was suspicion about the "Peace Negotiations" requested by Nohrian King Garon at the Nohrian city of Cheve. Sumeragi had been summoned, and an odd part of the request was for him to bring one of his children. Garon had already declared that he would bring a child from his family as well, as a sign that these were to be peaceful talks rather than belligerence.

For Sumeragi, this was considered a relief. He was familiar with the antics of Garon, but it had only been recently that the man had turned hostile. Sure he had always been a stern man that exuded unquestionable respect and authority, but up until recently his feelings towards Hoshido had merely been tense, but not enough to incite any actual conflicts or hostilities towards the eastern country.

Sumeragi and Mikoto spent the evening prior to the former's departure discussing which of their children to bring. It would be a brief trip, he figured, for while he wouldn't necessarily trust Garon to have his back in a fight, he did not think the man would stoop to new lows, especially if he kept his word of bringing a child of his own. The question was which child was Garon going to bring, and in turn, which one of his would he take alongside him?

His first thought immediately fell to Ryoma. He seemed a solid choice, but then again, maybe bringing him was a bad idea, especially because Mikoto knew that should anything happen, Ryoma would want vengeance and race right in. The argument against the next child, Hinoka, was similar, except her judgment would probably be even rasher than her brother's.  
"If I had to guess who from his own children King Garon will bring to accompany him,:" Mikoto suggested, "I would imagine it would be Prince Xander or Princess Camilla. His son Leo is Takumi's age, which means he's probably only just barely talking; and his youngest, Elise, is Sakura's age, which means she's probably not quite even walking yet."

"Then perhaps one of the twins?" Sumeragi suggested.

"Corrin is too reserved," Mikoto nodded, "and I don't think he would take interest in the idea. Kamui, however, might-especially with her wanderlust."

As they discussed this in their chamber, they were unaware that Ryoma and Hinoka were listening outside the door. Kamui tiptoed over to them, holding a sleeping baby Sakura in her little arms before pausing.

"Whatcha guys doing?" she asked, before Hinoka put her finger to her lips.

"Shhh… not too loud." she warned.

"Are momma and papa mad at each other?"

"No," Ryoma whispered, "but papa's going on a trip to stop the war, and he's going to take one of us with him."  
"Oohh…" Kamui's eyes lit up. "I hope it's me."

"I hope it's not me." Corrin had appeared from the opposite end of the wall, with little Takumi in tow. "Papa said most of the people that cross into Nohr don't ever come back."  
"He's right about that… mostly." Ryoma frowned, "but he's a strong man, and that's why he's king. He'd never let anything happen to any of us."

"Big brother's right," Hinoka nodded in agreement. "Whoever he takes with him is gonna be safe and sound, cuz dad's there to watch over them."

"Daddy's gonna beat those bad guys!" Takumi raised a tiny arm into the air. None of the children were old enough to really know how to stay quiet, and so while Sumeragi and Mikoto were well-aware of their presence behind the door, they did not acknowledge it while they conversed and debated, figuring that as long as they weren't getting into a fight, that they could wait to hear the news until after they had come to a conclusion.

While their parents knew they were out there, the children were not aware that they knew, and so when Mikoto and Sumeragi stepped towards the door, all six of the children scattered like cockroaches. With a soft chuckle, Sumeragi and Mikoto helped put them all to bed, where tomorrow they would break the news.

Morning came, and Sumeragi broke the news to his children. Kamui was excited about the notion just as he and Mikoto had predicted she would be, while the others were cautious. Sumeragi reassured them that while he would be gone a few days, that he would ensure his safe return as well as the safe return of his daughter.

"Be careful sis," Corrin gave his sister a final hug. "Nohr's a scary place…"

"Papa will protect me," Kamui smiled, "I'll be okay." Why wouldn't she believe that? He was a formidable master of the blade, and Kamui always enjoyed seeing him display his strength and skill some evenings.

"I'd never forgive myself if anything happened to you," Hinoka bade her farewell, "I was kinda disappointed that father didn't take me, but he's right about my… impulsiveness."

"Father said I wouldn't know when to quit," Ryoma gave something of a chuckle."stay safe, little sister. I would hate this to be the last time we ever saw each other."  
Little did any of them know at the time, but it was going to be their last meeting for a very long time. As Kamui gave Takumi and Sakura final hugs goodbye, she set out with Sumeragi and their small contingent, heading southwest towards the neutral region where the peace talks would be had. He hoped that here he would be able to end the war.

Garon managed to lure Sumeragi and his daughter to meet him face to face alone, with their bodyguards stationed on either side of the city. Garon seemed to be a man of his word, for at his side was a young girl about Hinoka's age with flowing lavender hair.

"King Sumeragi," Garon was the first to speak as they approached each other.

"King Garon," Sumeragi returned the gesture. To his surprise, Garon raised his hand.  
"Fire at will." These words rang out in a horrifying split-second where Sumeragi realized that he had walked right into a well-constructed trap. Kamui watched from a distance as Sumeragi's body was peppered with arrows before he could so much as scream. Staggering and falling to his knees, he glared up at King Garon, who brandished his axe.

"I'm disappointed in you, Sumeragi." Garon gave an amused smirk, "that wasn't even my best trap." He raised his jagged axe, bringing it down on the downed swordmaster and slaying him in one fell stroke.

Kamui wanted to run; to scream; to cry in horror at what she had just witnessed, but her feet were rooted to the ground as the Nohrian king approached her.

"You poor thing…" he gave a seemingly innocent smile, "orphaned at such a tender young age." his smirk widened as his hand extended. "...You are MY child now…"

The last thing Kamui remembered was a massive hand covering her face before a surge of magic flowed through her body and she lost consciousness.

Only three of Sumeragi's bodyguards managed to escape the small massacre that followed, and now of course, they were tasked with delivering the sordid news of Garon's betrayal to Hoshido. This would not hit them as hard as the loss of their father and sister, and sure enough, within seconds of the three men and women approaching the gate, Ryoma knew something was wrong. Hinoka found out seconds later, and the news spread to Corrin as well almost as quickly as it reached Mikoto's ears.

The beautiful weather outside of Castle Shirasagi couldn't be any more deceptive about the mood that hung over the castle for months afterwards. This sombering event had fundamentally transformed all five of the remaining children. Takumi simply understood that his father was missing and not coming back. Little Sakura barely understood what was happening at all, but noticed that someone who had formerly been very important in her life was suddenly not there. Ryoma swore vengeance as he took up his father's sacred blade.

"I knew he should have taken his strongest weapon," he had remarked, "Of course King Garon would make it a trap!"

Corrin sunk into a strong phase of depression that only Mikoto was able to help him overcome over the months. He had obviously been the closest to his twin sister, although he was also taking Sumeragi's loss just as hard as the rest of them. Over the next few days, Corrin moved his things out of his and Kamui's old room, unable to handle the memories of his sister. It was one thing to know that Sumeragi was dead; at least he had had closure. There was no telling what horrible things were being done to his younger twin sister in the depths of Nohr. Were they so cruel that they would torture a small child? Corrin assumed they were. After all, the Nohrians had broken their word at Cheve when they had turned a peace talk into an ambush, and then flat-out kidnapped his sister unprovoked. He could not so easily forgive that.

The one that took it the worst, however, was Hinoka. She disappeared for a full two days after Kamui's loss, before being found surprisingly far away from the castle, unconscious in the mud with nothing more on her than a spear and the clothes on her back.

"I had to find her!" she cried as she was brought back to the castle, "they took my sister from me! I need to get her back!"  
Not even Mikoto could get through to Hinoka's singular fixation, and it took several weeks before she gave up on her efforts (...for now). She conspired with Ryoma to try and find a way to get into Nohr and get her back, but the futility of their mission was a sordid reality that had not dawned on either of the young warriors as they came up with unrealistic ideas and objectives. They had no idea where to begin, and Nohr was a hostile enough territory even without Garon and his guards. Eventually, even she consigned herself to her fate, and life continued in Hoshido without Kamui. Their fate was accepted, but their missing sister was not forgotten…

 _=North-central Nohr, en route to Windmire…=_

It was a few hours before Kamui awakened, and she was terrified, not sure where she was. She had no recollection of what had just happened thanks to a hex from Garon, but now here she was in a carriage bound for who-knows-where, accompanied by no one except a lavender-haired woman who seemed occupied with her own hair to notice Kamui at first.

Naturally, this was kind of a rude wakeup call, and Kamui gasped as she regained her bearings.

"W-where am I?" Unsurprisingly, this was her first question.

"Oh darling, you're awake!" the girl smiled. She was probably only a couple years older than the youngster, which made her wonder why they were riding alone.

"Uhh… hey?" she shrugged.

"Camilla's the name, sweetie."

"So… Camilla? Where are we going? Why can't I remember anything?" Kamui asked her question again, and then added her name. "I'm Kamui, by the way."

"Kamui… now that's an adorable name!" Camilla beamed, "we're on the way to the Northern Fortress, according to my father. He wants to help turn you into the strongest warrior in Nohr."

This was actually true to a reasonable extent, and surprisingly, it worked to pacify Kamui. Her drive to improve and become stronger had always been one of her motivating factors even from an early age, and so even now, the little 5-year-old was excited. She did not know what kind of trials awaited her, and had she remembered what she had just been taken from, she would have been a lot more terrified and heartbroken, but her memories of her childhood had been locked away by Garon's magic. She had no recollection of Ryoma; of Hinoka; of Takumi or Sakura; or Sumeragi's death, of her mother Mikoto, or even of her older twin brother Corrin. One chapter of her life had just been cut short, and another one was about to begin...

* * *

 **AFTERTHOUGHTS:**  
 _So, the first chapter is fairly fast-paced because it covers a lot of what we know: Garon ambushes Sumeragi, kidnaps Kamui and takes her to Nohr. The next few chapters take a much steadier pace, and serve to help set up my "alternate universe" (AKA differences between my story and the game), but there aren't too many of them. Think of them as being similar to the first 5 chapters of the game. The other big difference is obviously that there are two 'avatars' in this story, with default names Corrin (male) and Kamui (female). That said, I'm always seeking to improve, and so feedback of any kind, from compliments to comments to suggestions for improvement, are all welcomed and encouraged. I also don't really have any pairings mapped out except maybe one or two, so if you want to see two characters interact and/or suggest pairings for me, I'm happy to consider most options. Just leave me a comment or two. As mentioned earlier, I'm open to feedback or suggestions, but I can't really address a problem someone has if they don't tell me what it is. Otherwise, feel free to express any likes, dislikes, etc as you see fit, and otherwise enjoy the story!  
_


	2. Chapter 2: The Three Swordmasters

**AUTHOR'S NOTES:** _The prologue chapters continue as we delve into the "Hidden Truths" DLC backstory. The trick here is that a handful of other characters from "Awakening" are going to appear in these chapters as well as in the story as a whole. However, I intend for their roles to remain relatively minor in comparison to the main cast (including Laslow, Odin, & Selena), so that the focus can remain primarily on the characters of "Fates". The reasoning for bringing them in at all in the first place is that to me, it seems logical that Anankos wouldn't just pick three and not pick a few more as backup or contingency plans. And thus, he recruited more of the heroes that defeated Grima... from one timeline or another anyhoo._  
 _The only other thing worthy of noting is that like the Awakening trio from the game, any and all characters from that world will also have nicknames/aliases in this story, and I'll try to make it abundantly clear who is who._  
 _That said, Happy Reading! **  
**_

 **CHAPTER 2: The Three Swordmasters**

 _Sing with me a song of Kingdoms and Blades…_

Peace—it was the end goal of every man, woman and child who had ever had to fight a war against their will. It was the final state of Ylisse after the war against Grima, but that was not always how the story ended. Different futures had been spun into reality after being triggered by different events, but sometimes, different people from these timelines didn't always stay put.

To this day none of them are entirely sure how it happened, but when they heard the voice, they answered the call.

" _Olivia Montoya... Hear My Cry…"_

Olivia the dancer dressed herself and disappeared into the night, following the voice to a small clearing that she recognized as a place she used to frequent to dance under the evening sky. More surprising than that, however, was the presence of the swordsman Lon'qu, whom Olivia recognized, as well as the Plegian tactician Robin, whom the two of them had befriended years ago as their commander. All three of them looked a bit tired, and only Robin looked composed. Lon'qu was keeping his distance from the other two women, as neither were his spouse, and Olivia was always fidgety when she felt eyes on her, unless she was dancing.

"Lon'qu? Olivia?" Robin was the first one to break the ice. "Why are you here?"

"I… umm…" Olivia stuttered, messing with her fingers, "I followed a voice."

"As did I." Lon'qu added curtly.

"Then we're here for the same reason," Robin nodded, "but I suppose I'm as confused as any as to what happens next. Did the voice say something about 'hear my cry'?"

The white-haired tactician's mind was already at work trying to figure out why this voice chose them. She could understand being chosen herself; maybe it had something to do with her Fell Blood, or because she had been the one to lay the finishing strike on Grima and survive, even if that had also occurred in a different timeline as well. However, she was trying to figure out what Lon'qu and Olivia both had in common with each other and with her to warrant their inclusion. Had it been their body counts in the war against Grima? Was it their speed and accuracy? The mind of a tactician was seldom idle, and Robin was deep in thought as Lon'qu and Olivia looked around. However, their thoughts were interrupted when they suddenly felt their feet leave the ground. They were surrounded by a vortex, almost as if being sucked through a watery current. There was no way to tell how much time had passed before it finally stopped, but once it did, they were all in awe of what stood around them.

Desolate ruins and floating landmasses surrounded the trio, some of them defying the laws of gravity by appearing sideways or even upside-down, while others appeared the right way up. How one got from one of these islands to the other was a mystery for the ages, and Olivia's squeal of nervousness reminded them all that this whole area defied gravity. Even the land they stood on was a floating island as well.

"Where are we?" Lon'qu spat, his look of disgust clearly showing his disdain for where they ended up.

"This reminds me of the Battlefield where I met heroes from all walks," Robin pointed out, "from Princess Zelda of Hyrule to Pikachu of Kanto… but this place lacks the vibrancy and emblems that the Smash Bros. Universe had."

"Heh," Lon'qu's lip briefly curled upwards, "So that's where you went after getting lost in the Outrealms a few years back."

"I don't actually even think I ever left," Robin's face straightened, "But that doesn't matter now. This is definitely not the Battlefield, so we need to find out what place this *is*."

However, the one who answered their questions was not someone any of them recognized.

" _Welcome, heroes, to the once-great Kingdom of Valla."_

"Valla…" Robin put her finger to her chin, "the Invisible Demon Kingdom… does that mean we're close to Hoshido and Nohr?" With all the books Robin had read and researched, she had learned about the supposedly mythical kingdoms of Hoshido and Nohr, but was unsure if they actually existed beyond the legends—until now, anyways.

"Very close," a hooded man appeared behind them, his face shrouded, although locks of long blue hair trailed down on either side of his lower face. "It is actually because of them that I summoned you here. And… because of me."

"Well what do you need?" Robin was acting as the spokesperson for their group, although Lon'qu and Olivia were attentive behind her.

"A request, actually," the man replied, "Allow me to explain…"

The man introduced himself as Anankos, explaining that he was once a god; one of the First Dragons of this land; a benevolent and loving creator that gifted humans with knowledge and longevity. However, he also revealed that over time, the dragon's primordial urges became to consume his once-formidable mind, driving him to destructive madness. The story seemed very summarized, but from a certain perspective, it made sense.

"So where is this dragon now?" Lon'qu spoke up.

"He is the reason this land is in ruin." Anankos explained, "He and I were once the same. As I felt the madness consuming my mind, I tore my soul out, and it took this form. What remains is a Silent Dragon who seeks nothing but hatred and destruction for humanity—similar to the Dragon-god Grima from your own world."

"It's easy to understand the weight of the situation then," Robin frowned, "so what do we have to do? There's always a way to stop them, isn't there?"

"There was a song, at one point," Anankos sighed, "but it was known by only the Vallite Royalty, and I, as the Silent Dragon, ended his life before he could sing it." Anankos continued to explain that he fathered twin children named Corrin and Kamui with a woman named Mikoto, who had fled to Hoshido after the fall of Valla. There, they would join these children in a quest to find the five divine weapons: Fujin Yumi, Raijinto, Brynhildr, Siegfried, and Yato. All of this was a lot to take in, and yet Lon'qu and Olivia had joined a group led by an amnesiac that turned out to be from Plegia, the very kingdom that had started the first war. All in all, Anankos' story seemed to make enough sense for the trio to accept his quest, but there were a few more catches he addressed to them.

"Foremost, nothing from or about Valla may be spoken outside its boundaries." he warned, "and secondly, I am likely to try and gather more heroes to help this cause if I am able, and thus changes to your names and appearances will be necessary."

"Change?" Lon'qu raised an eyebrow.

"While Hoshido and Nohr are kingdoms known to your world, most people here are unfamiliar with Chon'sin, Ferox, and Plegia. Any hints at your true origins are best concealed for the time being. There is no need to get people any more suspicious than they already are."

"Understood," Lon'qu gave a swift nod.

With a mighty roar and a flash from under his hood presumably where his eyes were, Anankos glowed for a moment before a radiant light surrounded the three warriors. After it had receded, they all looked considerably different.

Lon'qu was still a swordmaster, but the uniform was different, and was decked out with more white and gold linings, and the emblems were likely the Hoshidan Seal. Olivia's getup as an assassin was gone, replaced with the outfit of a Hoshidan swordmaster as well.

"It's good to know that even in Hoshido women don't wear pants," Robin quipped, herself in a swordmaster outfit identical to Olivia's, which was similar to Lon'qu's except with much less of her thighs covered.

"Anankos," Robin turned to their benefactor, "you have gained our support. Tell us how to get from Hoshido here, and we will do what we can to save this world!"

"Y-you trust us… right?" Olivia fidgeted again.

"I will trust you," he nodded, "all of you. As such, I bestow upon you this strength, and I give to you new names by which to be addressed. As ruler of the world when it first began, and by that selfsame power, I, Anankos, bestow upon you my power: Roku, Zenzi, and Arozza!"

"Roku, hmm? " Lon'qu mused, "I'll accept it."

"Zenzi… I-I like it!" Olivia blushed a cute shade of red.

"I'm sure many, many people have already thought far too long about my name anyways," Robin chortled, "Arozza it is!"

The three of them looked around for a way out of Valla, although the only thing that caught their eye was a magnificent and imposing old castle on a floating island far off in the distance.

"I will transport you to the Bottomless Canyon, the portal between the overworld and Valla," Anankos explained, "remember foremost that it will end your lives if you speak of Valla or anything related to it outside of this kingdom. Such is the nature of the curse."

"You've got our word." Robin promised, "And now we're going to Hoshido!"

With another roar, Lon'qu, Olivia, and Robin vanished from Valla, and Anankos disappeared as well, wandering the world once again. Their quest had begun, and they had a long road ahead of them—one that they might not even have to traverse alone, if they played their cards right. Lon'qu and Olivia naturally turned to Robin to be their leader for this operation, and they knew already that they would have to be careful with how they addressed each other. Roku, Zenzi, and Arozza would be pointless aliases if they went unused. As long as they could remember that as they trekked to Hoshido to join forces with them, they were confident that they could tackle any threat that came their way…

 _=Castle Valla, Throne Room=_

Silence reigned after Anankos and the three heroes left the dead kingdom of Valla. No one lived in this kingdom anymore short of puppets, risen from the dead of the soldiers of this once great kingdom. The cities were in ruins; the islands in chaos. The once magnificent and formidable Vallite Castle, now starting to fall apart from neglect, remained silent on the outside, and through most of its now forsaken halls. In the depths of the castle, however, something stirred. The daunting throne room, now even more menacing due to its derelict nature, held the answer: for against the far well behind what remained of the throne, The Silent Dragon slumbered.  
For now he did not strike out against his goodhearted soul just yet, but already he was scheming on how to end him—how to end Lon'qu, Olivia, and Robin; and how to end humanity entirely…

 _"...sO... hE tHiNkS hE cAn StOp tHE fOrGottEn gOD… tHe BeTrAyEd kInG… ThE bUriED dRaGoN… rOkU... zEnZi... aRoZzA… yOu hAvE cOnSIgnEd yOuRsElvEs... tO dEaTH… ...HAHAHA… MWAHAHAHAHAHA…"_

Anankos the Dragon may have seemed silent, but his schemes were already setting forth across Nohr and Hoshido alike—an attempt to taint the land and the minds of its people to help lead them further and further down the path of irreversible destruction.


	3. Chapter 3: A Twist of Fate

**AUTHOR'S NOTES:** _To those who were asking about Owain/Inigo/Severa (Odin/Laslow/Selena) and their role in this story... take solace. Yes, they are still in, and yes, they will play a plentiful role in the story just like their Nohrian comrades. The prologue focuses more on Robin/Arozza, Olivia/Zenzi, and Lon'qu/Roku because I actually liked the "Hidden Truths" DLC story, and so if I wrote Owain, Inigo, and Severa's perspective of how they got to Nohr, I'd basically just be copying the script of those levels, and plagiarism is no fun. So... in the meantime, here's chapter 3 of 5 of the prologue before the real fun begins. Here we'll actually meet some of the actual Fates characters, and learn how Arozza integrates into the Kingdom of Nohr.  
Happy Reading!_

 **CHAPTER 3: A Twist of Fate**

 _Sing with me a song of Soldiers and Chance..._

The hostile and forbidding landscape of the Bottomless Canyon was not exactly an environment that was very welcoming or attractive, but Robin was undeterred. She led the little group across rickety bridges eastward and across the Hoshidan border. The canyon might have been behind them, but they were still trapped in a winding maze. After the long day they had just had, especially out in the foreboding and forbidding realm of Valla, the trio made camp at an abandoned outpost.

"I… I get the feeling it isn't even necessarily nighttime," Olivia expressed concern.

"It's not." Lon'qu sniffed the air, "A great evil lurks here."  
The lightning cracked all around them, but the three of them managed to remain out of its way.

"So tell me, Arozza," Lon'qu turned to Robin, "After hearing that story of the five divine weapons, do we know where they are? Who wields them?"  
"Anankos never told us," Robin admitted, "but I'd assume that they are in the hands of the royal family. They are the ones we need to make contact with. If we find them, we'll also find Corrin and Kamui."  
"Did it ever occur to you that we're not likely to find them all in Hoshido?" Lon'qu frowned.  
"I was thinking the same thing," Olivia piped up, "if we need to go to Hoshido and then Nohr, wouldn't some of them be here and some be back in Nohr?"

"I've given it much thought, Zenzi," Robin sighed, undoing her hair and letting the long white strands fall down her back, "we travelled from Ylisse to Valm and through every country in between in our journey to stop Grima. If we need to traverse this hostile continent from Hoshido to Nohr in order to fulfill Anankos' request, then so be it."  
"You always have an answer," Olivia gave a sweet smile, "thanks for leading us, Rob—Arozza." she giggled sheepishly at her near-mistake.

"I want to know if Anankos is going to bring others from our world here as well," Arozza pointed out, "or will it be us from different timelines?" She knew that her son Morgan had gotten lost in time (not knowing that he found his mother and father in a different timeline, and so was in fact safe), and that her daughter Lucina had been among the many who had sacrificed their lives to achieve peace—a timeline independent of the forsaken one most of the other children had come back from—and not the one that they had come back to save.

"All this timeline nonsense gets me so confused!" Zenzi pouted, "apparently I'm dead in one, married with a kid in another, and with you two now."  
"Your guess is as good as mine," Arozza quipped, "but I'm sure if we run into familiar faces, that we'll recognize them in one form or another. After we rest a bit, our goal will be to get into Hoshido and find Mikoto and her children. Perhaps we can become retainers."  
"I do not wish to get too close to women if I can avoid it," Roku gave a blunt declaration, "You understand the reason, Arozza; and Zenzi, don't say a word."  
Zenzi blushed and emitted a tiny giggle, but otherwise nodded and stayed silent.

"If she's as nice as Anankos talked her up as being," Arozza reassured him, "then I'm sure something can probably be arranged. We won't let anyone separate us though. Perhaps we can even rebuild some of our old group if Anankos sends friends!"

What she did not know was that Anankos was in fact seeking out more of Robin's old army: this time going after an archer, a cavalier, and a mercenary, but because of the differing flows of time, Roku, Zenzi, and Arozza would have to linger a long time in the Bottomless Canyon if they were to cross paths—especially because this 2nd group was being instructed to visit Nohr.

"Speaking of friends…" Zenzi stuttered again, "w-what happens if one of us d-does die?"

"Ideally we should try to have each other's backs," Arozza pointed out, "but if bad comes to worse, we carry on regardless."  
"Good to know," Roku grunted, "because I feel we are being watched."  
Roku's superstitions turned out to have minimal basis in reality—at least over the next several hours as the trio slept in the forbidding locale, but shortly after they woke up, it turned out that his premonition was actually correct. All three of them sensed hostile soldiers surrounding them, but could not see them unless they squinted, or if the unnatural purple flames that seemed to flicker around them flared up.

Arozza didn't even need to tell her comrades to draw their weapons. Roku raced in with his swords, his natural talent showing as he gracefully and swiftly began cutting the marauders down. Channelling her magical abilities into the magically-charged Levin Sword of hers, Arozza attacked enemies at a distance, but also sometimes closed in on them for heavier blows. Despite being a swordmaster like her comrades, Zenzi's weaponry had mainly switched to knives and shuriken instead of swords. Either way, still proved to be a valuable fighter, as her blinding speed and omnipresence seemed to distort the enemy long enough for her to lodge sharp pieces of metal into their necks or vitals with ease. While she lacked the music and the outfit to dance in, Zenzi still managed to throw a few graceful twirls into her movements that invigorated her two companions, but even with the vigor that the three of them fought against these unseen foes, there seemed to be too many; and worse, they seemed to be trying to split the party.

"They're trying to separate us!" Zenzi squealed, lodging a shuriken between the eyes of one of the invaders that had caught her by surprise, "S-stay together!"

Roku managed to reach Zenzi, and back to back they fended off enemies with swords and knives, gradually migrating towards Arozza. The problem with this was that they were now being pushed back, westward towards Nohr and away from Hoshido.

"Go! Go!" Arozza shouted, "I'll catch up to you!" She swung her Levin Sword again, cutting an electrical path through the invisible soldiers. Zenzi hesitated, swinging wildly at one of her would-be killers and eviscerating him, but Roku grabbed her hand and pulled her eastward. She squealed from surprise, but quickly regained her composure as the two of them carved a path towards the east. Once the enemies were dispatched, it was fairly smooth sailing all the way to the formal Hoshidan border.

Arozza was heavily distorted once she had fended off most of the invisible enemies, although she had been pushed so far west that she was pretty sure that she was nearing the borders of Nohr. Sensing more of the invisible soldiers east of her, she knew that she was in no condition to fight through all of that again, and so she just had to hope that Roku and Zenzi made safe passage to Hoshido. She would have to take her chances in Nohr where, due to her outfit, she would almost surely be captured.

The mind of a tactician was not so easily dampered by this fear. Instead, she would go without resistance, and prove her loyalty. If swordmasters were a Hoshidan thing, perhaps she could be one of the few that brought that fine art to Nohr.

Sure enough, it did not take long for her to be captured at the border by guards who were suspicious of her immediately because of her outfit.

"Hoshidan! You have trespassed onto Nohrian territory without authorization. Surrender and your life will be spared!"

Arozza knew that if she tried to tell them the truth—that she was not Hoshidan, and not even from anywhere around here, that they wouldn't buy it and would take her for a spy. She knew that at this point the best option was to cooperate.

"Very well;" she drew her swords. "I submit."

She surrendered without hesitation, dropping her weapons. As they led her away, she overheard them talking about how they should just murder 'The Hoshidan". A couple of them were suspicious of how easily she surrendered, especially since she looked a bit battered (which was explained by her battle with the invisible soldiers). It meant she was a fighter of some kind.

Little did they realize that they were dragging away the Queen of Ylisse—a title that meant nothing to the kingdoms of Hoshido and Nohr, which were far, far away (or likely in a different world entirely) in comparison. But she, much like Roku and Zenzi, were from a different time. Perhaps things had gone differently in their timeline had they stuck around. All three had been married in another era, and knew it. Here, they were some of only a few survivors.

Arozza was half-dragged to the nearest fortress, not sure what she was here for other than hearing something about a "Lady Camilla" being the one to determine her fate. Despite this, she was observant of her surroundings as much as she could be. These westward lands were definitely hostile, and not terribly different from the malevolence that had emanated from that "bottomless canyon". The fortress was dark and foreboding, and she wondered where she was being taken. Would she meet the King of Nohr here? If so, why was he all the way out here?

Instead, she found herself face-to-face with a short woman with a bob of sky blue hair bearing a striking resemblance to her friend Kjelle back home. Even her voice sounded similar, but Arozza was not about to ask or speak out of place. She did not know the customs of this place, and staying alive was more or less the only thing on her agenda right now.

"If the choice were up to me, you would have a knife sticking out of your throat by now," the woman retorted darkly, "Lucky for you, it is up to my liege instead."

The woman led Arozza into the next room, where she found herself face to face with a curvy, almost seductive-looking woman with flowing lavender curls and a cruelly elegant expression upon her visage. For the moment she was focused on this woman and not the red-haired woman to her left and behind her.

"The trespasser, Lady Camilla," the blue-haired assassin gave a respectful bow before stepping back aside. Arozza remained upright, her hands still bound.

"Thank you, Beruka darling… you know I can always count on you." Beruka… so either Kjelle had an alias or this was just a chance resemblance.

"It's rare to see a Hoshidan have the gall to cross the Bottomless Canyon, let alone into our borders," Camilla continued. Her voice was as sultry and sweet as her exterior. Arozza refused to break eye contact. "Especially not one with such a pretty face and beautiful hair…" she reached a gloved hand towards Arozza's white locks, running them through her fingers while leaning dangerously close to the swordmaster's face. She nodded to acknowledge that she had heard Camilla's remark.

"But, I'm afraid my father would not approve of me sparing you… so I'm afraid I'm just going to have to kill you."  
Arozza actually looked startled at the sudden announcement and gasped. Her voice must have been familiar, because right as Camilla stood up to retrieve her axe, the red-haired girl stood up, and met eyes with Arozza.

A soundless gasp echoed between the two of them. Through freak coincidence, Robin and Severa had just been united again.


	4. Chapter 4: An Elder Sister's Mercy

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:** _This week will be slightly different in terms of update schedules. To accelerate the end of the prologue, there will be three chapters this week (Monday, Wednesday, Friday, most likely). That way I can get chapters 4 and 5 done and then show in #6 what's happening with our heroes Corrin and Kamui. Similar to the earlier chapters, we do get to catch glimpses of some of our upcoming heroes, both in Nohr (for Arozza) and in Hoshido (for Roku and Zenzi). I figure by now it's clear that Roku is Lon'qu, Zenzi is Olivia, and Arozza is Robin, so the aliases will become more prominent and commonly used from here on out._  
 _Happy Reading!_

 **CHAPTER 4: An Elder Sister's Mercy**

 _Sing with me a song of Saviors and Crowns..._

Arozza remained silent as Severa spoke up. It had to be her; she just knew it.

"Lady Camilla!" Camilla had lifted her axe and was about to raise it, but then stopped.

"Selena, dear, you're ruining the moment…"

"I… I know her—I think." Selena argued. Arozza hoped that this was the real Severa and not just another lookalike the way Beruka was. The shorter woman remained silent, her arms crossed as she watched the banter between the three other women.

"Arozza's my name," Robin introduced herself, exchanging glances with Selena, who nodded understandingly. Her face lit up.

"Is she from the same place you are then, Selena?" Camilla raised her eyebrow (for her other was concealed behind her sweeping bangs). "I do enjoy a sense of mystery…"

"I think," Selena answered, "she's a capable warrior and I'm pretty sure she's also good at tactics. She reminds me of my own mom a lot, being almost perfect and everything."

"Then why is she wearing the colors of our enemy?" Beruka was the one to speak up.

"We got separated, of course!" Selena lied, "I mean, if I know this woman then clearly we were in the same place at some point, but then something happened, and we just barely reunited."  
"Well…" Camilla cooed, "if she's willing to put all that behind her and join our little family here, I think I can convince father to spare her…"

"I'd change my clothes right now and get the Hoshidan insignias off of them, but I don't exactly think it's proper to parade in my smallclothes in front of a Princess of Nohr." Arozza explained.

"I think a few small aesthetic changes to your attire would suffice," Camilla's lips curled upwards into a sweet smile, "legs as nice as yours don't deserve to be covered."

"Uhh… thanks?" Arozza's face turned red.

"Now, Selena… be a dear and show her to her new quarters. I'm taking her on as my retainer."  
"What?!" Selena gawked, although Arozza looked equally surprised, "just like that!?"  
"I did try murdering her before she hired me on the spot" Beruka reminded them, "Lady Camilla has very sound judgment."  
 _Either that or she was monumentally stupid…_ Arozza thought to herself. Camilla barely knew her name and she hired her on just like that? Granted, she had no intentions of harming Camilla except maybe in self-defense if it ever came to that, but if she was going to hire her and pay her for her service, Arozza did not imagine that any harm of that calibur would fall on her head.

"Just like that, darling." Camilla smiled at Selena, "She's not replacing either of you. I can have more than two retainers, you know. My dear sister Kamui has 4."

Kamui… so at least one of the twins was here after all. If she could get to Camilla, she could get to Kamui, and from there her quest could continue.

"Alright, alright…" Selena growled, "I'll show her her new quarters…"

Selena actually wanted to talk to Arozza in private, and knew this would be the place to do it. She had hardly closed the door behind them after wandering a couple winding hallways before she practically slammed Arozza's body against the wall.

"Robin, what the hell!?" she gritted her teeth, more flabbergasted and dumbfounded than angry, "how in the gods' name did you get here? Who's all with you?"

"I was brought here by a god named Anankos," Arozza shrugged, "I came with Olivia and Lon'qu. I'm Arozza now; Lon'qu is Roku, and Olivia is Zenzi. I assume you were given the alias Selena for the same reason?"  
"Hold it… my dad's here? And Ini—Laslow's mom?"

"We were en route to Hoshido before we were ambushed." Arozza explained, "and… I do not think we are from the same timeline. None of us are married."

"Oh…" Selena glanced aside. "Still… what are the odds. Odin's aunt, my father, and Laslow's mother. Yeah, Owain and Inigo are here too, and it's me, Severa, as you probably figured out by now. What timeline are you from anyways?"  
"It's quite the mess isn't it?" Arozza laughed, "clearly one where I never married Chrom, Olivia never married Gaius, and Lon'qu never married Cordelia."  
"Well." Selena looked somewhat insulted, "that sounds like a really horrible future if I never exist, you know! Tell him to get on with it!"  
"We're some of the only ones left," Arozza shook her head, "but don't worry about how we still know each other. Really, the fact that you came back from yet ANOTHER timeline means that we should really stop worrying about that nonsense. I do have a question for you though"  
"Hey! I should be the one asking questions to make sure you're really Robin!" Selena snapped.

"How else do I know about all that timeline nonsense?" Arozza laughed,

"Still…" Selena knew her white-haired friend had a point. "And what kind of stupid name is Arozza, anyways?"  
"Anankos gave it to me," Arozza shrugged, "I don't mind it; just make sure you don't slip it up."  
"I'm not stupid, R—Arozza, gosh!" Selena caught herself, "so what's your stupid question anyways? Make it fast; I don't have all night, y'know."

"Beruka… is she someone you know?"

"She's a Nohrian," Selena shrugged, before getting a little defensive, "N-not that I confused her for Kjelle or anything! I'm not an idiot!"  
"Selena, I know that," Arozza reasoned, running her hand up the red-haired girl's jawbone and then through one of her long ponytails, "This isn't a contest. I'm just trying to get accustomed to Nohr, and hoping that Roku and Zenzi are okay."

"Well, get comfortable then," Selena put on her act of indifference again, "we're heading back to Castle Krakenburg in a couple days."  
Arozza assumed that that was where Kamui would be, if she was with the Nohrian royal siblings. In the meantime, she found something comfortable to change into as she pondered her fate. She had been spared by a miracle in the form of Severa, who had an alias just as she did.

The next morning, Arozza found that her old uniform was still there waiting for her, except some of the lighter reds and blues were replaced with purples and blacks more suitable for Nohr. Any of the emblems that she had assumed were Hoshidan were replaced with the Nohrian crest, but otherwise it was there, and so were a pair of swords. They were not the same ones that had been confiscated upon her crossing into Nohr, but rather than the Hoshidan katana, they were Nohrian blades. Either one worked for Arozza, and so she didn't complain.

"Nice legs, Arozza," Selena taunted as she met back up with her comrade to start the day. Arozza's face reddened, but she didn't respond, knowing that it was just one of the ways Selena tried to act abrasive to cover her sensitive side.

The briefing for the day was fairly simple, and Selena gave her the walkthrough. Arozza figured she could ask more questions pertaining to Kamui once she got to Castle Krakenburg. In the meantime, it'd be just a less than 48 hour wait…

 _Bottomless Canyon, near the Hoshidan Border…_

"Do you think she got lost? Do you think she got killed?" Zenzi was as jittery as ever as she grew anxious about the fate of Arozza. She clung to Roku, whose own fear of women made him uncomfortable with Zenzi being so close.

"Please… get off me." Roku grunted, trying to find the happy medium between outright throwing Zenzi back and gently easing her aside enough to keep her from clinging. It wasn't that he didn't like her, but she was a woman and women made him nervous. If they both were jittery wrecks, they'd basically paint targets on their backs.

"S-sorry…" Zenzi whimpered, "It's just… it's been hours, and I'm scared. What if she didn't make it? She's so strong; she should have caught up by now?"  
"Perhaps she went the other way, for whatever reason," Roku muttered, "but remember what she said—we are to continue without her. If we encounter hostiles, we will attempt negotiation. If that fails, we do it the Feroxi way."

"A-alright…" Zenzi stuttered, composing herself. "L-let's keep m-moving then?"

"Aye." Roku gave a curt nod and the two of them trekked eastward.

Leaving the Bottomless Canyon was like a literal breath of fresh air. They stepped out into a sunny landscape that was a stark contrast not only to the Bottomless Canyon but also to the lands of Nohr where Arozza had ended up. Rather than running into guards, a lone Pegasus rider came swooping in to identify the two wanderers. Her flaming red hair reminded them at first of Cordelia from home, but its short length then reminded them of their friend Sully.

Incidentally, the rider, who landed nearby and dismounted, was neither of the above; she looked fairly young in fact; much moreso than Zenzi or Roku.

The athletic warrior paused as she glanced at the two of them.

"The two of you look like you just got in a fight with the Faceless and lost." her voice had a slight rasp to it, but she looked healthy enough. "What are you doing all the way out here?"  
"Would it suffice to say we were lost?" Roku's curt tone had not gone anywhere.

"W-we're travellers!" Zenzi jumped in, not wanting to make a bad first impression, "we came from the north… and then… got lost before coming here."

"I don't get it…" the Pegasus warrior scratched her head, "if you're not from here, how did you get those?" she motioned at their uniforms.

"I… I swear, you'd never believe us if we told you…" Zenzi whimpered, "but I promise we're not here to hurt anyone! We lost a friend back there and so… th-that's why we're so shaken." This was also true, although it was a convenient cover-up for Zenzi's stage fright and Roku's fear of women.

"So what brings you here then?" the Hoshidan appeared to accept the story, although clutched her lance firmly, "who are you, anyways?"  
"I… am Roku." Roku introduced them, "my clingy friend here is Zenzi."

"Oh, sorry!" Zenzi stepped back, not realizing she had been clutching Roku's arm until he had said something.

"The name's Hinoka, 2nd princess of the Hoshidan Royal Family." the woman introduced herself, "I was out here scouting for someone I lost years ago… kind of a wistful hope more than anything, or maybe the Diviners were right. Still… pleased to meet you."  
Zenzi and Roku offered respectful bows before Roku spoke up again.

"You would trust us… so easily?"  
"I'm a fighter as well as you; but I don't see hostility in your eyes." Hinoka smiled, "or yours, Zenzi. Come with me; I can get you two fixed up and then we can decide what to do from there. How's that sound?"  
Both of them looked worse for wear, and so couldn't really argue. With nods practically in unison, they both followed Hinoka. Neither of them were entirely sure what they were getting into, but if Hinoka trusted them when she had all rights not to, then they could trust her in return. They had made it to Hoshido in safety, though they both still hoped Arozza was okay...


	5. Chapter 5: A Timely Reunion

**AUTHOR'S NOTES:** _And here we arrive at the last 'prologue' chapter, which is also why we're getting three chapters this week instead of just the usual two. I do give a small infodump near the end as I wrap things up, but anyone who has played even the earliest parts of the games understand who works as the retainers for Xander, Camilla, Leo, and Elise. In-story, I just had to make sure that Robin/Arozza learned this by herself instead of just magically somehow knowing it, because that just doesn't make sense. The next chapter will kick off Act 1, and the Revelation story will begin._  
 _Till then... Happy Reading!_

 **CHAPTER 5: A Timely Reunion**

 _Sing with me a song of Timelines and Bonds…_

It was not long before Hinoka had gotten Roku and Zenzi to safety and with the help her her somewhat eccentric retainers, had nursed them back to health.

Despite them feeling better, it was clear something was on their minds, particularly Zenzi's.

"We had a friend…" she reminded Hinoka, "did anyone see her? She had white hair, wore a similar uniform to me, and…"  
"You're the first ones we've seen this far out in weeks," Hinoka shook her head, "and I'd be swift to receive any reports of trespassers or wanderers in this area. Either your friend is still in the Bottomless Canyon, or she got pulled across the Nohrian Border… it wouldn't be the first time…" She gave a heavy sigh. Zenzi mentally noted to ask about it later.

"She is gone, Zenzi." Roku muttered, "we will continue without her, and find Corrin ourselves."

"Hold it!" Hinoka immediately got right in their faces, "What do you want with my brother!?"

Well, that explained a lot. Roku and Zenzi both felt awkward because neither of them were the leading types. Roku all but wilted being this close to a foreign woman, and Zenzi, who was already terrified of eye contact, wilted as well.

"W-we don't want to hurt him!" She gasped, "we just want to meet him!"  
"For what purpose?" Hinoka was easily suspicious now.

"Because we believe we know how to stop your war." Roku nodded, "He and his sister are crucial components for this feat."  
"His sister is in Nohr," Hinoka grumbled, "gods know what's happened to her by now. Maybe your friend got dragged across the border and maybe they'll cross paths. But… if you wish to meet Corrin, I can take you there. We'll be heavily monitoring you until a level of trust is established, but as long as that's okay with you, we can probably arrange something more permanent if you don't mind it…"

"You may supervise us as you wish, Princess Hinoka." Roku nodded curtly, "We mean your brother, as well as you and your family, no harm whatsoever. Although, I would like to make a request."

"Ehh? Go on…" Hinoka wasn't used to being asked of things from someone not her superior or close friend, but she listened.

"Neither of us are… very collected in front of people; particularly not around… women." Roku was not one to normally blush, but he was a fierce shade of red to rival Hinoka's hair.

"O...kay?" the princess tilted her head.

"J-just be patient, is what we're saying." Zenzi pleaded, "we'll explain everything in due time; we promise."

"I've made my terms clear," Hinoka reminded them with a friendly smile. "The probationary period's just to make sure you're not some covert enemy. I trust you; but a princess can't be too careful, you know?" Normally she wasn't even one to take risks like this, but if she was going to take them back to see her sister and brothers, she knew that at least Ryoma and maybe Corrin would be reserved about it at first."  
"Very well." Roku nodded. "Lead the way…"

 _The Heart of Nohr, near the Capital..._

The journey back to Castle Krakenburg was longer than Arozza had expected, but she refused to complain, and instead accompanied Beruka and Selena as they followed Camilla back towards her real home. The city that housed the castle was practically built out of a hole in the ground, almost as if it was designed to be a giant arena.

"Welcome to Windmire." Selena snarked, "you'll be hard-pressed to find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy. The castle ain't that bad though."  
"Mind yourself around King Garon though," Beruka warned, "he won't take kindly to anything he thinks is insubordination."

A testament to Robin's humility was not only her using an alias, but also that she, a royal by rights, was here now as a servant alongside common mercenaries. It was the kind of work she liked, but the irony had not been lost on her brilliant mind.

On the other hand, their greeting at the gate was something that surprised the entire party: Beruka and Camilla because they did not recognize the two horse riders standing on either side of the gates… and Selena and Arozza because they *did* recognize them.

"My, my… I don't believe I've seen the two of you around!" Camilla feigned shock, although was really just trying to socialize.

"Ah, I do believe we have not met either, Dear Lady Camilla," the one on the left began. Arozza recognized that sultry voice and the flowing blue hair anywhere. The fact that he was armed with a bow simply solidified it.

"I am called Varrick; and my strong and dashingly gorgeous comrade across from me is Zul."

"Lady Camilla," the short-haired woman gave a respectful gesture as Arozza cocked her head towards her. The short red hair, the brutish horse, the low, casual tone this woman held… "Varrick" and "Zul" were her friends Virion and Sully.

 _Just how many of my friends did Anankos find?!_ She thought to herself. There hadn't been many that had survived in her timeline, but of the few that had, these were most of them.

Arozza briefly let her eyes meet Zul's, where despite her different hairstyle Zul still recognized her. Wordlessly, they hinted that they would meet again.

"So…" Camilla turned to the white-haired swordswoman after Varrick and Zul opened the gate for them, "I'm going to inform my father among other people of your new position with me, darling… then we'll get you an actual room with the retainers, instead of in that lonely old fortress. My retainers can show that to you when the time comes."  
"And what of you, Lady Camilla?"  
"I need to discuss with him and with my brother the results of my mission." Camilla chortled, "I wasn't out there on a pleasure trip, you know. Maybe if there was a hotspring, but gods know I haven't been to one of those in too long…"

"Right," Arozza nodded, "if there is anything I can do, please let me know!"  
"Most of your services will involve fighting alongside me…" Camilla chuckled, "we have servants for the menial labor. I brought you along because I do enjoy good strong women fighting at my side and slaughtering our enemies."  
Arozza nodded, but did not want to think about the idea of slaughtering Hoshidans, especially since she assumed that that was where Roku and Zenzi had gone by now, if they were even still alive. She would definitely need to tell Varrick and Zul, and would need to alert Odin and Laslow as well. She was glad she had Severa on her side; she wouldn't have known Owain and Inigo's aliases without her-and probably would not have survived Camilla's decision either. She knew from those remarks, however, that King Garon was a dangerous man.

Seeing him in person verified Arozza's premonitions. A powerful, daunting man with a wicked-looking axe that made Camilla's look like a toy, his stern but regal visage coupled with his almost sinister frown had Arozza envisioning a bitter old man who had zero tolerance for insubordination. She would make sure to stay on his good side.

"Father," Camilla unsurprisingly did the talking, "I've returned from Sieben-Zwei Fortress with news you will probably be pleased to hear about."

"I am more curious as to why you invited these women into my presence without permission." Garon warned, his voice being about as deep and stern as Arozza had expected.

"This is Arozza, a friend of Selena's." Camilla began, "a master of the blade and proported to be a master tactician as well."

"I am here to serve, and to pledge loyalty to the Nohrian Crown," Arozza promised, taking a respectful bow.

"You may keep her as your retainer then," Garon muttered, "In the meantime, dismiss her. I have much I wish to speak to you about."

Similar to at the fortress, Arozza was given a wing at the castle which appeared to be where the retainers dwelt when not in service or abroad. To Arozza's surprise, not only were Laslow and Odin there, but so were two other mercenaries that she recognized: her friend Gregor, as well as her friend Vaike's daughter, Noire.

"Oy!" the former of the two was the first to notice and recognize Arozza. "Garrett thinks you are being the familiar here…" He stepped up and analyzed Arozza's white strands.

"Garrett?" Arozza tilted her head, "Are you familiar with a man named Gregor?" She had heard that Gregor had had a brother that he had assumed was dead; was this him? No, it couldn't be. Gregor had said that he had taken his brother's name after said brother had died.

"Garrett know a Gregor. He is fine mercenary; travels many places because sellsword needs money too, yes? Now Garrett ask you: Do you know Robin?"

"I do," Arozza nodded, "I'm Arozza. Robin's very familiar to me." She winked, and saw the gears turning in Garrett's head. This was in fact Gregor.

"Oy! Garrett remember Arozza now! It is nice to be seeing you again!"

The next several minutes consisted of Arozza telling them her story. She met Odin and Laslow, and learned that the mercenary "Nikita" was in fact Noire. That meant there were 10 of them here in all: 8 here in Nohr, and Roku and Zenzi in Hoshido. She wanted to ask about Kamui, but had a lot of orientation to go through, and had to answer a lot of questions, particularly when Odin realized Arozza was his aunt, albeit in another timeline. Owain, Inigo, and Severa clarified that they were unfamiliar with the timeline that Robin, Lon'qu, Olivia, Virion, Sully, Gregor, and even Noire had come from, which caused the white-haired tactician to curse the whole timeline mess all over again _("I swear the gods use that as an excuse just to keep us from knowing each other!")._ She told them of Roku and Zenzi in Hoshido, which put the balance of the looming war into jeopardy, since obviously none of them wanted to fight people they knew: especially since Laslow knew Zenzi and Selena knew Roku.

It took a lot of introductions, but by the end of the day, Arozza had learned (from Laslow) that Varrick and Zul were two of Prince Xander's retainers, with Laslow and a woman named Peri as two others. She herself was the 3rd of Princess Camilla's retainers alongside Beruka and Selena; Garrett joined Odin and a shady, one-eyed man named Niles as retainers for Prince Leo, and the youngest Nohrian sibling, Princess Elise, had Nikita, as well as two large, beefy warriors named Arthur and Effie. Her question now was where the remaining sibling was.

"So does Princess Kamui not have retainers or something?" she asked. "speaking of… where is she?"

"Princess Kamui takes residence in a fortress far from these hospitable halls!" Odin explained, as theatric as ever, "Far away on a desolate mount, choked by blizzards of snow and frigid winds, she perches herself in the highest tower like a silent bird of prey, biding her time as she awaits the glorious moment she can finally—"

Selena practically slammed her palm into Odin's mouth to shut him up. "Kamui's far north of here, in the aptly named Northern Fortress. She's stuck there until she can best Prince Xander and Princess Camilla in single combat."

"If there's two of them, it's not single combat, is it?" Arozza tilted her head.

"Technicalities!" Selena waved dismissively. "You know what I mean!"

"Any chance one of us can go with them next time they travel that way?" Arozza frowned.

"Unlikely," Laslow frowned, "usually the only ones allowed there apart from Lord Xander and Lady Camilla would be Lord Leo and Lady Elise."

"Great." Arozza sighed. "Hopefully the gods give her strength then…"


	6. Chapter 6: In the White Light

**AUTHOR'S NOTES:** _And with the prologue out of the way, the mystery as to how and why so many Shepherds are present in Hoshido and Nohr has been answered. To answer the question of how many there are, there are 7 in all (not counting Odin, Laslow, and Selena, who are canonically in Fates). I chose the ones I did mostly because I felt like they offered some of the most exciting dynamics for the type of story I want to tell.I don't think any of them will necessarily marry, but that might change depending on how things go. This is a very character-driven story after all._  
 _That said, here is chapter 6, where the games begin for real. The focus now shifts to Corrin and Kamui, alternating periodically between the two in order to show both the peaceful, idealistic lifestyle of Corrin in Hoshido, and the belligerent, truthful lifestyle of Kamui in Nohr. The story will loosely follow the first 5 chapters of the game (including the opening "premonition" dream-sequence), but from there there's no telling where it'll end up going._  
 _Happy Reading!_

 **ACT I: THE DAWN AND DUSK DRAGONS**

 **CHAPTER 6: In the White Light**

 _Sing with me a song of Bloodlines and Dawn..._

The border between Hoshido and the Bottomless Canyon leading to Nohr now served as a battlefield between the two warring kingdoms, with the invading Nohrians literally on Hoshido's doorstep. Corrin had always envisioned that this would happen someday, particularly as a child back when his sister was still with him and his father still alive. The difference this time was that a new member of the Nohrian army was present in this dream.

"Is this how swiftly you turn against your own flesh and blood?!" Corrin shouted across the battlefield, where his defiant sister Kamui stood among the ranks of the Nohrians.

"You have no right to speak to me of betrayal!" Kamui shouted in return. "I chose this path of my own admonition, just as you have chosen yours."

"My mind was not tainted by the poison of Nohr!"

"And my life has been surrounded by nothing BUT the hardships that Nohr faces! And yet despite that, these people are my family—they are the ones that raised me; that supported me in my times of need. I am not siding with Nohr because of a hatred for Hoshido. I am siding with Nohr because it's the only way I can think of to keep your prejudices from launching you into the fray to cut them down."

"Betrayal is never the answer, sister!" Hinoka barked. "I didn't wait 15 years to see you again only for you to rip yourself away from me again!"

"And those 15 years were spent bonding with the most loving sister a girl could ask for!" Camilla retorted. "If you preach against betrayal, why then are you asking her to betray the people that she's known so much longer?"

"I told you she was nothing but trouble, brother!" Takumi argued, "Nohrians always are."

"Can you really blame me for trying to bring her back though?" Corrin frowned.

"I don't know; can I?" Takumi was practically dripping with sarcasm. "Maybe we should go ask mother. Oh wait! She's dead! Because of HER! Maybe she belongs there, Corrin. Maybe she belongs in Nohr where she shows her true colors as a traitor and a murderer!"

"Takumi…" Corrin gritted his teeth as things began falling apart around him. "Ryoma, talk to him! No—talk to her!" he motioned towards his sister.

"I respect her decision." Ryoma sighed, "I do not like it in the slightest, but if that is where her heart lies, I cannot fight it. However…" he paused, drawing his sword, "I will fight to protect those that I hold dear to me, even if it means slaying my own blood sister. Keep your focus on Kamui, everyone. If she makes one wrong move, attack her."

"Not so fast, Prince," Xander warned, "you lay a finger on her and we will cut you down where you stand."

"It's as I feared…" Kamui frowned, "Hoshido is hospitable only if you're in their good graces. The moment you fall from that grace, you're target practice. What I am doing is not betrayal, Corrin. What you are doing when I wish to return to my family peacefully is betrayal. I'm going back with them to Nohr—for good! And damned if I ever see any of you again; My life was better before you came into it. I wish to return it that way!"

"Betrayal…" Hinoka was seeing red and trembling as she watched Kamui put additional distance between them, "Be… trayal…" she reached for a knife at her side. "BE… TRAY… AL…"

"Sister, stop!" Sakura ran up to Hinoka as Xander, Camilla and Leo moved to surround Kamui.

"I've done my waiting…" she muttered ,"15 years of it… and I'm not… going to just sit down… and let her slip from my grasp again…"

"I hope you realize the bitter taste of betrayal yourself, brother!" Kamui warned. "You pretended to love me, only to stab me in the back the moment I try to unite with my family and friends."

"The same family and friends that murdered your real family! You know how our father died, and your ties with Nohr are the reason our mother died! How am *I* the traitor?"

"Tell you what… you spend two weeks in Nohr and then tell me if returning to your family makes you a traitor to me and mine! Since when did rational reasoning become betrayal?"

"You… want… betrayal…" Hinoka had taken a guttural tone, "I WILL SHOW YOU… BETRAYAL!" in that moment, Hinoka's eyes flashed red and the knife in her hand soared swiftly towards Kamui. Sakura gasped, and Ryoma shouted. Camilla shoved Kamui out of the way of Hinoka's knife and took the hit herself, staggering but staying upright.

"So…" she looked understandably upset at this point, even if Elise swung her staff to quickly curtail the bleeding, "is this how Hoshido plays? By throwing tantrums when they don't get their way! Fine then… say hello to my little friend!" Camilla brandished a wicked-looking axe, licking her lips.

"Strike them down." Kamui ordered, and the last thing Corrin saw before waking up was the Nohrian army advancing on him.

"SISTER!" Corrin sat bolt upright, breathing frantically as he glanced around the dark room. It was a dream, but it had been a vivid one. Was this how the confrontation with his sister would go? Was the projection of her in the dream even real? Was that what she even looked like?

It had felt so vivid, but he had to try and separate the myths from the facts. Hinoka very well could act out of impulse like that, but there would need to be some serious provocation. Ryoma would have warned her against a preemptive initial strike anyways. But the real worrier was himself and his sister. Would she remain loyal to her family if she came here and then they came for her? Perhaps this was a portent of things to come. No, there had to be a way to prevent this needless violence. There had to be a way to unite Nohr and Hoshido against the enemy that was perpetuating this war. Corrin was a pacifist by nature. He knew that there had to be more at work than just Nohr and Hoshido feuding over this or that. He did not imagine a war would start over his sister. If she remained with the Nohrians, it would be a cause of great heartache, but not likely something lady Mikoto would decide necessitated war over.

...Which brought him to another point in his dream. Takumi had stated that mother was dead by that point. What had happened to her? Had Kamui murdered her own mother? Was she going to come here and do exactly that? Normally he was able to dismiss dreams like this, but this one felt so strikingly real…

Almost as if his mother knew his troubles, Mikoto stepped into Corrin's room, lighting a dim lamp to offer a little illumination to the place.

"Is everything alright, sweetheart?" she asked softly.

"I'm fine, mother," Corrin sighed, "I just had a vivid dream is all. Takumi said you were dead; killed by Nohrians."

"What manner of…" Mikoto stammered, wondering why Takumi would say such things, before Corrin clarified what he meant.

"No, no; this was in my dream. We were at the border, facing against who I can only assume was the Nohrian Royal Family."

"The barrier I placed over Hoshido still stands." Mikoto reminded him. "And as long as it does, the Nohrians will lack the will to fight or continue hostilities upon crossing it."

"That wasn't what worried me." Corrin frowned, sitting up, "what worried me was that I saw my sister with them."

This brought pause to the queen's face as she frowned as well. It was not well-known among the other siblings apart from Corrin, but Mikoto thought of her missing daughter almost every day since that fateful night when she had been taken along with the life of her husband. What pained her was not only the lack of closure for the girl, but also realizing that Kamui was alive, but out of reach, and beyond her power to try and save.

"I harbor no ill will towards the ones she calls her family," Mikoto whispered, "should we meet again, I would that she came to her own conclusions about what is right and what is wrong?"

"But if that does occur, what happens if she does decide to stay with Nohr?"

"That is her decision to make. She is alive and she has grown as much as you have. I think the two of you will actually cross paths again very soon."

"How do you know?" Corrin suddenly seemed much more focused. It seemed out of the ordinary for Mikoto to suddenly make a prophecy like this.

"My diviners are not just crackpot old fortune-tellers," Mikoto chuckled, "and I believe their words. There is more to the battle between Hoshido and Nohr than meets the eye, although I am not at liberty to explain it right now."

"Why not?" Corrin tilted his head.

"To put it simply, It would cost me my life." Mikoto warned. She was familiar with the curse placed on the Kingdom of Valla. It was for reasons like this that she and her sister Arete had called it the Invisible Demon Kingdom shortly before they had parted ways. Similar to the warning Anankos had given Roku, Zenzi, and Arozza, speaking of Valla outside of Valla would erase one from existence entirely, and Mikoto was not one to do that to her family that was still grieving over the loss of their father and sister even 15 years after the fact.

"Can nothing be done then?"

"We will be able to make the necessary move only after the skies change above Hoshido and Nohr," Mikoto warned, "do not worry though. No matter what else King Garon tries, as long as I live neither he nor his armies will infiltrate our country—not with a will to fight, at least."

Corrin smiled. He had always been an idealist at heart who just wished for peace and for the world to get along. Perhaps some day it could become a reality. He hoped it could, anyways. He hoped to see his sister again, and hoped to see her on the same side of the battlefield as him. No more fighting; no more death; no more bloodshed; no more violence. That was the peaceful world that Corrin wished to live in.

While Hoshido strived for peace, Nohr strived for war. It was easy to remain peaceful when all of one's needs were met, but in a blighted kingdom where only the toughest and most resilient could survive, it was either become strong or die by the wayside.

And it was for this reason that Kamui trained to become stronger with each passing day.

* * *

 _ **AFTERTHOUGHTS:** After rereading this chapter several months later, a thought or two crossed my mind. There's a chance that at some point I might make AUs of this story based on "Birthright" and "Conquest", which, like this story and Revelation, would basically be rewrites of the atrocities that were the stories in Birthright and Conquest, except that a LOT more people would die (including likely one of the twins) depending on the side. Either way, if this seems like an intgeresting concept for me to tackle sometime in the future, let me know in the comments or via PM. Thanks for reading!_


	7. Chapter 7: In the Dark Night

**AUTHOR'S NOTES:** _I've been musing a while about how to integrate Corrin and Kamui both as central characters without making one twin or the other redundant. I've got a few ideas in mind, and so while on one hand it's clear that Corrin will lean in support of Hoshido and Kamui will lean in support of Nohr, I also fully intend to make sure they see both sides of the situation one way or another. While these next couple chapters are loosely based on chapter 1 of the game, they play out very differently due to Camilla's presence, coupled with Kamui being a lot more experienced and jaded than she is in the game._  
 _Happy Reading!_

 **CHAPTER 7: In the Dark Night  
**

 _Sing with me a song of Families and Night..._

Kamui cried out as she was struck by Camilla's axe again, sliding across the rooftop of the fortress from the impact. She growled as she hopped to her feet.

"You seem distracted, darling…" Camilla twirled her battleaxe in her hands. "Come, fight like you mean it! Fight me like your life depended on it!"

Kamui gritted her teeth, clenching her bare toes against the slightly uneven surface of the rooftop tiles that lay beneath her soles. It was here that she felt the flowing surge of a Dragon Vein. Lifting her foot, Kamui brought it down against the Dragon vein, her eyes briefly flashing as one of the tiles on the ceiling flipped over, emanating a welcoming aura. Kamui jumped atop it as she kept her eyes fixated on her sister, feeling her wounds heal.

"Clever girl…" Camilla smirked, "I was wondering when you'd notice that. You probably could have gotten away with not needing it if your head wasn't in the clouds, although you might need to put it to some use against your brother."

"Maybe if I could ever face him," Kamui's breathing was still a bit heavy, but her strength was returning and her gloved hands clenched her sword rightly. "But how can I even face him if I can't even defeat you?"

"Do remember that Xander doesn't so easily mop the floor with me," Camilla chuckled, "he certainly offers a stimulating battle, but the criteria of defeating me before facing him was more or less something the two of us agreed on."

Kamui nodded, glancing over to the side where Xander sat watching the two sisters duke it out. Camilla was a formidable opponent, but even he knew that there was something on Kamui's mind. He did not bring it up either, however—for enemies on the battlefield would care little for her internal thoughts as they cut her down, and while he had reminded her of this multiple times, it seemed that she was more distracted than usual today.

The steel of Kamui's sword and Camilla's axe clashed, and sparks flew. Even though Camilla left parts of her abdomen and thighs exposed, Kamui still couldn't hit her there either, much to her dismay. Maybe she did that on purpose as a distraction for something she was far too skilled to allow an enemy to hit. All Kamui knew was the last time she herself hadn't covered up, she took a grizzly wound to the thigh that nearly killed her from blood loss. Nowadays she covered everything but her head and her feet. She had always held a strong disdain for wearing shoes.

"You're cute when you're angry," Camilla taunted, hoping to fire Kamui up. She knew the young princess was passionate when she needed to be, and like Xander, was curious as to what was occupying her mind more than the fight that could potentially grant her freedom.

"And this whole fighting thing seems unreasonable…" Kamui lashed back, not mad at her siblings as much as at her own poor performance, "however strong I get, you two just get stronger!" She parried another blow, but then took a blunt strike from the flat end of Camilla's axe, throwing her off her feet. Taking a deep breath, she threw herself at Camilla with all her might, actually putting her older sister on the defensive for a moment. However, right before she could strike her or knock her down, Xander had raced into the fray, shooting Kamui with a bolt from his sword Siegfried. Kamui cried out as she was hit, spiraling briefly through the air before hitting her head against the roof tiles with a crack.

"That's foul play!" she sat up, rubbing her head, now feeling dizzy. She knew she was going to lose this fight.

"A competent enemy is not going to wait for you to best his ally before confronting you." Xander warned, "And Father's word still stands: you cannot return to Castle Krakenburg until you have bested the both of us."

"It's a good thing that I don't know how to get to Windmire from here," Kamui spat, a few drops of her blood staining the grey tiles red. "I swear, you two are going to kill me one day."

Honestly, I've tried a few times," Camilla chortled, "you're strong enough to fend me off though, sweetie. You just need to have the gusto in you to want to kill us first."

"But I don't want to kill you!" Kamui argued, clutching her chest, "I mean, yeah at this point I'd really like to make the two of you bleed a bit, but that's just my injured pride talking. I don't want to hurt either of you too badly."

"That's part of the problem," Xander reprimanded her, "there's no room for idealism in Nohr, when the truth of war is that death happens. I know as well as you that these might be just sparring matches, but you need to come at your sister with all you've got, and when you do, you can come at me, and then the both of us."

Kamui sighed, conceding defeat at this point. Considering that her black and grey armor was starting to show signs of red, it seemed like a good time to take a break.

"Don't worry, Kamui," Camilla chortled, bringing back a familiar "goochy-goo" tone to her voice once again, "we'll go back inside and I'll take good care of you. I know just the place."

"I'm glad I'm at least able to travel around the surrounding area," Kamui sighed, "really I don't think I would have learned to stand a chance against either of you without seeing some of the harsh realities of this place."

"You can learn a lot in this fortress, especially with a retainer like Gunter," Xander nodded, "but indeed, some experience must come from the outside world as well."

"So why does Father not wish to see me until I've bested you?" Kamui had never understood the reasoning behind it herself, and had never once felt love or any kind of affection from that man.

"That's not something I know the answer to myself," Xander admitted, "but I know better than to question it. I wish I could provide you with a better answer, little princess, but it would be in your best interest to rest up. Perhaps Elise can help with those wounds."

"Right," Kamui smiled. It was hard to stay grumpy at the prospect of seeing Elise. The younger girl's cheery and bright personality easily softened up Kamui even on her worst days, but at the same time, she also felt guilty. She knew Elise was going to lecture Xander and Camilla for the 'tough love' they inflicted on Kamui in the form of those red stains on her clothes. Then Leo would show up and reprimand her about the dangers of combat or something, the two would argue, and Elise would diffuse the situation by healing her.

Kamui had few qualms with people seeing her undressed, although was particularly against showing Leo because he did not share her same sentiments in that regard; and against ever letting Elise see much more of her than her head and feet simply because even with her magic staves repairing most of the damage, Kamui's body was crisscrossed with numerous battle scars and old wounds. This was also the reason she had modified her old outfit so that her thighs were no longer exposed. So much of her skin was scarred that she'd hate to let it ravage Elise's innocence. The only reason she stayed barefoot was because of her strong disliking for shoes of any kind—a trait Leo often mocked her over.

It was not that she loved Leo and Elise less than Camilla, but as she went through the motions with them (vaguely listening both to Leo's lectures about being careful and Elise's much friendlier lectures about not being so careless with her physical well-being), her mind was still fixated on a dream she had had that morning, which had been detrimental to her performance today. She did not want to alarm Elise, Leo would dismiss it as an excuse to get attention, and Xander would shrug it off as a mere superstition. Perhaps he was right, but she still felt like she needed to tell someone, and Camilla would listen. She always did—usually also forcing Kamui to lay her head in her lap while Camilla untangled her hair. It was a small price to pay, but even after Elise culled the bleeding, the dream grew heavier and heavier on her mind.

"What's the matter, sister?" Elise was obviously concerned.

"It's just… daydreaming again," Kamui stammered slightly. "It's a long story."

"What you need is less daydreaming and more focus," naturally, this was the kind of comment she expected to hear from Leo as he showed up..

"I know, I know," she sighed, "today's really just not my day. You're right, Leo."

"Say what you want, but if you don't apply it, you might as well just gaze at a brick wall all day." Leo replied, "You're definitely strong, if the amount of attention Xander and Camilla give you is anything to go off of; which is why I'd think you'd be better than this."

"It's an off-day, alright?" Kamui shook her head, before noticing something off about how Leo was dressed. A slight, mischievous smirk appeared on her face. "Speaking of off-days, Leo—your collar's inside-out."

"Are you—" Leo stammered, his face reddening, "blood and damnation, why didn't you say anything earlier, sister!?" he ran off as Elise giggled.

"Looks like someone got dressed while they were still half-asleep!" she chortled.

"That's the kind of thing that makes him so lovable though," Kamui chuckled. "And of course, you're lovable for a myriad of reasons, Elise. I don't think I need to remind you why." she playfully tickled her younger sister, causing her to emit shrieks of laughter as she jumped back.

Elise only 'released' Kamui into Camilla's care after she was certain her big sister wasn't bleeding anymore. With a brief goodbye (since they'd only be gone a couple hours), Camilla took her sister north into the mountains.

"And you brought bathing suits?" Kamui was a bit skeptical, "what's this, the Ice Tribe Sneeze-N-Freeze?"

"Nonsense, darling… there's a spring not far from here, and heaven knows those muscles of yours need the R&R."

Sure enough, there was a small outpost on the mountain that housed several delightfully warm springs. Camilla was already marinating in one by the time Kamui stepped out, the black bathing suit doing little to cover her scarred body. Camilla noticed a pair of particularly red marks: one on her right shoulder and the other on her abdomen, from the fight earlier. By contrast there was nary a mark or scratch on Camilla's body. She did a better job at healing herself than Kamui did, and was not as fond of scars.

"And here you and Xander thought you didn't abuse me to hell and back," Kamui quipped as she slid all the way under before reemerging, her long violet locks sticking to her head.

"You should never had admitted you liked how your scars look," Camilla chortled, "but enough about that. I know you wished to speak to me earlier, and now we're alone. What's on your mind, darling?"

"I had this dream…" Kamui was glad to the the subject off of her scars. Camilla and Elise in particular always worried so much about them. "I was with you and the family on the border, facing off against the family from Hoshido. I don't recognize them but they seemed to know me."

"Tell me this," Camilla shifted next to Kamui as the younger woman vented, "if a family took you in and raised you, only for you to learn later that you were not related to them by blood, how much would that change things?"

"Well… probably not too much, but is that what you're telling me my story is?"

"That's essentially the gist of it," Camilla nodded, "I do not know it fully myself, or if your blood family is actually even from Hoshido or not. What I can tell you, however, is that I love you as much as I love my other siblings. You know how serious family is for me, darling."

"Right," Kamui nodded, "I guess the most intriguing part was that there was a man—he had the same hair, same eyes, very similar clothes… he called me his sister."

"It's not rare for siblings to have different parents," Camilla reminded her, "All of us but Xander were pawns born of concubines. We had no love for our mothers, but as far as any of us are concerned, we're as close as any full-blooded siblings."

Kamui simply nodded before resting against Camilla and closing her eyes. She knew her sister was right. No matter who her blood family was, she knew her real family, and loved them the same way they loved her. That, and the hotspring bath was particularly pleasant.

"Don't get too comfy now sister," Kamui teased after several minutes of contented silence, "tomorrow I want to challenge you and Xander again—and this time I'm going to win."

"Oh ho…" Camilla gave a hearty chuckle, "I'll talk him into that. Hopefully you got that silly dream off your chest so we can see your full potential."

"Right," Kamui nodded, smirking. It wasn't necessarily that Camilla or her siblings were trying to hide the truth from Kamui (since they didn't know the full story either) as much as Camilla simply wishing for Kamui to focus properly on combat. She wanted Kamui to earn the right to return to Windmire, and she knew that this was how it was going to happen.


	8. Chapter 8: Embracing the Dark

**AUTHOR'S NOTES:** _And here's the latter half of this story's equivalent to 'Chapter 1'. While Corrin is the more sheltered one (not quite the the extent of the avatar in the game), Kamui is still closed off to most of the world. However, she's far from ignorant, and instead is well-aware of the low quality of life that Nohr 'enjoys'. It's also worth pointing out that while the game (like most Fire Emblem games) was extremely vague about the ages of the characters, I am going to be very clear with them. Rather than give a boring info-dump on them, however, I figure I'll reveal them in the story as necessary. This chapter will reveal Elise's age, for example. Either way, I'll spare the ramble. However, it's also worth noting that I only have one pairing established, and so if people have suggestions for pairings or just two characters you'd like to see interact more, leave suggestions in the comments._  
 _Happy Reading!_

 **CHAPTER 8: Embracing the Dark**

 _Sing with me a song of Siblings and Dreams..._

The trip to the hot spring had been well-warranted and well-earned, according to Kamui. Normally she complained about how long Camilla took in the bath, but this time she was quite fine with letting her big sister marinate in this spring with her as long as she wanted. Kamui had no plans for the rest of the evening, and she aimed to get to bed early even, so that she could be well-rested and focused for the fight the following day. As such, by the time Camilla took her home to the fortress, she stripped to her smalls and went right to sleep, her mind still fixed on the day's events.

Kamui woke up the next morning focused to a point. When Flora and Felicia showed up to wake her up that morning, they found her already awake, hacking and slashing away at a practice dummy in her room. There was not much else to say about this little chamber. The only things that really existed in this room were a few changes of clothes (Kamui was no fashionista and she knew it), a vast array of different weapons and practice targets or dummies, and a myraid of paintings, sketches, sculptures, and puppets. When Kamui was not fighting, she was usually creating, and had developed rather impressive artistic talents. Being locked up for so long in a desolate fortress had left her few options, since she only really got to venture out into the world when one of her siblings showed up and went with her.

"U-up and at 'em, Kamui!" Felicia was the one the snap Kamui out of her focused trance. She actually jumped, throwing her sword with such ferocity that had Felicia not ducked, it would have undoubtedly sliced her right in half. Instead, the sword sailed down the hall, shattering some massive piece of pottery or some other superfluous decoration.

"Blood and damnation, Kamui, you could have killed us!" Flora exclaimed.

"Knock next time," Kamui grunted, turning to face them. She was wearing nothing but shorts and a tanktop, revealing her arms and legs, which were decorated with cuts and scars.

"W-we did!" Felicia got back to her feet.

"...oh." Kamui mumbled, "knock louder?"

Before they could get into a discussion about whose fault it was, Kamui's butler Jakob appeared from behind the twin maids.

"I took the liberty of readying your armor the previous evening and finishing earlier this morning," he explained, producing Kamui's armor looking as good as new. "As well as fixing the holes from yesterday's… err, skirmish."

"Thanks, Jakob." Kamui felt slightly guilty, "I'm glad you all watch out for me."

"Your sister fights ruthlessly," Jakob continued, "and your brother Xander is a terrifying opponent."

"Trust me…" Kamui showed off one of her scarred arms, "I've got enough physical evidence of their brutality to last me a lifetime—maybe two if I'm careless."

"All the more reason to remain vigilant," Jakob reminded her, "Master Leo has lectured you on this subject before, has he not?"

"More than he should be allowed to," Kamui shook her head, "just give me a moment to get ready and then let Xander and Camilla know I'll be right out."

She didn't even wait for her retainers to leave and close the door before she started undressing. If they didn't like what they saw, no one was forcing them to look. She thought about the dream she had had two nights before, and was intrigued to see if the individuals were even real. Did she really have a red-haired older sister who had been waiting over 15 years for her return? Did she have a brother who very well could be her twin? She had a lasting impression that she did, but she used this to her advantage as she finished gearing up. Thinking of them helped her stay focused. If she could best Camilla and Xander today, she would gain freedom to explore more on her own, and in turn possibly even learn if these siblings of hers even existed.

"It's just you and me, darling," Camilla cooed once Kamui was out on the rooftop. "Come at me whenever you're ready."

"Where's Xander?" she was not falling for the trap twice in a row. Fool her once…

"Be wary," Xander warned, appearing in plain sight, "this time a wrong move could cost you dearly." Kamui was used to this tough love, and so did not take it personally. However, she had a reply ready at the tip of her tongue.

"I don't plan on faltering." she licked her lips as she drew her sword.

The level of ferocity that Kamui fought with this time, when fully backed by her passions, was overwhelming. Her style was fierce and almost primal as she launched an all-out offensive assault against her two siblings, the steel of her swords clashing against theirs. Even Xander with the full might of Siegfried could not stand against Kamui's rage. While the battle was swift and decisive, it also ended quickly. Four dangerously powerful swings of her blade later, and this time it was Xander and Camilla that were left reeling.

"I am… impressed." Xander exclaimed, "well done, Kamui."

The wounds were prominent but not deadly. As Elise appeared to help nurse them back to health, so did Leo, who approached Kamui with a slow clap.

"Even I found that impressive," he pointed out, "and that doesn't happen often. You appeared more savage than usual, however. I doubt it's any cause for alarm, but I felt it important to alert you in case you didn't realize."

"I realized," Kamui nodded, turning to Xander. "And, thanks, by the way. Thanks for having patience, and for your, erm… tough love."

"It's tough love, alright!" Elise piped up, "but I'm glad you won, big sister! Now you three don't have to beat each other up anymore! Yay!"

"Well I'm not complaining," Kamui chuckled, "it's nice to not get my ass kicked in on a semi-regular basis."

"I certainly agree!" Elise concurred, "as much as I enjoy using my magic to heal you guys when you're hurt, I'd rather not have to use it at all!"

Brandishing her staff, she turned to Xander and Camilla before turning to Kamui. "By the way, sister! Check out this new trick!" She twirled her staff with the dexterity of a maid, linking it into a rather impressive little display before she aimed it at Camilla (who was the most injured of the three). She repeated similar processes for Xander and then Kamui, giggling playfully as she watched her siblings' faces light up as they were rejuvenated.

"Elise," Leo was the one to interrupt this time, "when are you going to behave like the adult you technically are?"

"I'm only 16!" Elise jumped. Camilla also (metaphorically) raced to her defense.

"And she's a little late bloomer, dear." she chortled. Elise giggled, clearly flattered.

"Leo, Leo, Leo…" Kamui shook her head as well as she approached her younger brother, "let her have her fun. Honestly… for someone as closed-off and dour as me, it really makes my day."

"You've earned it." Xander pointed out, "You're naturally talented, Kamui. With enough devotion to your craft, you could easily become the strongest warrior in Nohr."

"Might is not always determined by strength with pointy metal sticks." Leo reminded him.

"Leo, he didn't mean it like that." Kamui interjected, "trust me—you, Camilla, and even Elise have given me plenty of reminders about how dangerous magic can be. It doesn't always have to be a competition though."

"Does it?" Leo raised an eyebrow.

"You tell me," Kamui pointed out, "I don't see you lining up to challenge me in combat, and you and I both know you can annihilate me in a game of strategy."

"If I may get this back on track…" Xander interrupted the two, "you know what your victory against Camilla and I means, right, Kamui?"

"I'll finally get to see Windmire and Castle Krakenburg." Kamui smirked. "I'm game. Seriously—if I never see this gods-forsaken shithole again it'd be too soon."

"Think of all the fond memories you've made here though," Leo quipped.

"There's the Leo I know and love," Kamui elbowed him. "Aye; I'd be quite fine to take a torch to this place… after everyone was out of it of course. I'd hate to lose any of you, or any of my loyal retainers."

"Eyes on the prize, little princess." Xander shook his head, but he couldn't help but crack a smile. "Let us begin the necessary preparations."

It did not take long for Kamui to pack a few things and be ready to make a permanent move. Her practice weapons and dummies, as well as her sculptures and paintings, held no real value to her, and she could easily get or create new ones once she was moved in with the rest of her family. They mattered much more to her.

She met back up with Xander and the others at the stables, where their stable girl Lilith was preparing their horses for the journey.

"I've heard the news," she smiled, "it's good to know that you'll finally be leaving this desolate place."

"I was telling the others that I'd be quite fine if this place burned to the ground." Kamui quipped, "I'm Kamui and I'm never setting foot into that shithole again."

"Then perhaps it's for the best that I'm coming with you," Lilith smiled. "The horses are ready, and they seem excited for the trip as well."

"Good, and I'm glad," Kamui smiled, "I'd miss you too much if you weren't tagging along."

Joining Lilith, Kamui, and the four siblings was Gunter, the oldest of Kamui's retainers. A grizzled old war veteran, Gunter was a strict man with little sense of humor (much to Kamui's dismay), but he had also served as an extremely effective teacher, helping Kamui have a viable sparring opponent for the times when Xander and Camilla were not around.

"I and Jakob will be accompanying you, Lady Kamui," he informed her, "Meanwhile Flora and Felicia will continue their work in upkeeping this location, should you return."

"I have no intentions of coming back here though," Kamui wondered why they were to stay behind. She hoped that it was not her fault.

"I understand that," Gunter remarked, "I am simply stating King Garon's orders."

"Right," Kamui nodded. "Well if there's nothing else that needs my attention?"

"Yes, let's get going." Gunter turned down the path they were heading down (he had never gotten off his horse), and as Kamui saddled up and followed them down, she glanced one last time at the Northern Fortress—a place that she hoped to never see again.

She had never been this way before in the few times she had been able to roam the wilderness of Nohr. Most of the smaller towns she had seen had been east or south of here, and now they were headed west towards Windmire. The journey itself was not much in the way of eventful, but it was clear that as the black Nohrian Capitol City came into view, that Kamui's life was about to change forever...


	9. Chapter 9: Captives From Hoshido

**AUTHOR'S NOTES:** _While most of these earlier chapters (1, 2, & 3, to be exact) will focus mostly on Kamui in Nohr, there will be a few chapters, such as this one, where we get to see the Hoshidans' point of view a bit. For example, how did Kaze and Rinkah get captured? This particular chapter actually addresses exactly that, and in my fanfic twist, we get to see our friends Lon'qu and Olivia (err, Roku and Zenzi, that is...) interact with their now-fellow Hoshidans._  
 _On the note of Hoshido, the balance between Corrin's screentime and Kamui's screentime will begin to equalize around the equivalent of the game's Chapter 4 (so a few chapters away for me). I plan to make a lot of things happen between Kamui's first visit to Hoshido and the grim reunion where the twins choose a side. But in the meantime, here's the here and now. Let me know what you think of the characters so far, be it Roku and Zenzi, or any of the other cast. I do know that Rinkah and the Flame Tribe are going to get fleshed out a bit more in this series, and so any feedback about her as well as the guest Shepherds would be highly appreciated._  
 _Happy Reading!_

* * *

 **CHAPTER 9: Captives From Hoshido**

 _Sing with me a song of Captives and Shame…_

While Kamui was fighting her older brother and sister in an attempt to earn her freedom from the Northern Fortress, the siblings of Hoshido were on a battlefield of their own, protecting their borders from Nohrian monsters that marauded across their lands. Queen Mikoto's magical barrier across her country's border kept most other soldiers out, but the Faceless monsters, who had no emotions or feelings to turn from warmongering to peace, were still able to rampage across Hoshido and attack rural villages and communities with near impunity.

Hinoka was one of the first responders to any and all of these attacks any time news of them was brought to her attention. A warrior at heart, she also served as a powerful Hoshidan military commander, joining her soldiers at the front lines. They had anticipated it to be a fairly small skirmish,and so while Corrin, Ryoma, Takumi, and Sakura would remain at the Capitol, one of Sakura's retainers as well as both of Takumi's retainers joined the fight alongside the wacky monk/archer duo that comprised Hinoka's her choices were easily the most questioned of the group, both Azama and Setsuna performed like experts in combat, leaving little doubt to their capabilities.

"Are you sure you don't want to go along, Corrin?" Hinoka asked as she and her small band made preparations to engage the most recent of these Faceless attacks, "You'll have Kaze with you as well-and the Flame Tribe is providing a few soldiers to help repel these Nohrian monsters too."

"She is right, Lord Corrin," Kaze explained, "Furthermore, these are little more than ruthless monsters. Killing them is the only way to ensure peace."

Even then, Corrin had never been one for warfare. He underwent daily training just like the rest of his siblings, but like his mother and most of Hoshido as a whole, he sought peace and tranquility above all else, which made his decision-making in this regard a bit more complicated.

"Even if you do not go into battle, Lord Corrin, Zenzi and I wish to do so." Roku, one of Corrin's retainers, spoke up. "When we said we would protect you with our lives, we meant it."

"Awww yeah, we've got swordmasters for days out here!" Hinata grinned, having just heard the news. "C'mon, Lord Corrin! We've all got your back!"

"All we'd need for the party to be complete is Lord Ryoma to come!" Hinata grinned.

"We've got a large enough party without him though," Hinoka pointed out, "even with or without Corrin-although you're invited to help lend Hoshido a hand if you want." she extended her own hand towards Corrin, who actually took it. Hinata, Oboro, and Hana cheered, while Kaze, Zenzi, and Roku all gave satisfied smiles.

"That's the brother I know and love," Hinoka grinned, "we shouldn't be gone long; it's just a small contingent on the border."

The group made the appropriate preparations before trekking out to the western border, where they met up with a small group of Flame Tribe warriors. The leader, Rinkah, approached Hinoka with the status of the situation.

"We've picked off a small number of the stragglers," she pointed out, "but there's a much greater number out there than we thought."

"How are you and your soldiers?" Hinoka's concern was for others first, and herself after.

"Never been better," Rinkah smirked, "we're lucky those monsters didn't attack us in full force, but with your reinforcements, we should do just fine."

Hinoka had a few dozen soldiers with her as well as Corrin and the other retainers, and had assumed that it would be enough to stop the waves of Faceless crawling into the country. As they prepared for battle, some of these monsters began appearing in view, barrelling towards the Hoshidans and fixed on slaughtering them.

"Looks like we've got ourselves a party!" Hinata cracked his knuckles. "You down for a game, Hana?"

"Hinata, this isn't a game when lives are on the line!" The short, brown-haired samurai frowned.

"No, no…" Hinata shook his head, "I just mean we should make it a competition-whoever can kill more of these monsters before we rout the enemy wins! We keep Hoshido safe AND we become stronger. Everyone wins!"

"Hmm…" Hana considered it for a moment before beaming. "I can get behind that!"

"I think all of us can." Corrin nodded in agreement as he drew his weapon-the golden Yato. "Let's end this threat before it terrorizes more of our country."

"Right beside ya," Hinoka smirked, "FOR HOSHIDO!"

The Hoshidans and the Flame Tribe warriors met with the Faceless and clashed with them at every turn. While the monsters were strong and enormous, with enough girth to easily crush bones, they were slow compared to the lightning-swift Hoshidan swordmasters and samurai. Roku and Zenzi had no trouble fighting off these monsters, which were highly reminiscent of some of the Risen creatures they had fought back in their own homeland.

Hinata lunged right into the fray and swung his katana around so fiercely that he cut down two of the monsters without trouble.

"Ha! Two already!" he chuckled. Setsuna overheard him and raised her eyebrow as she nocked another arrow."

"2? I'm at 17…" She quipped.

"What!?" Hinata gawked, "I ain't about to let an archer outscore me!"

The Hoshidan forces began pushing the Faceless back, but they appeared to be an endless tide crawling out from the darkness of the wilderness leading to the Bottomless Canyon. What did they want with this part of the country? Corrin wasn't aware of any villages or towns in this area. Maybe this was just them opening the floodgates.

He was snapped out of his thoughts as he clashed with a Faceless, only to spot the most unusual thing he had seen all afternoon. One of the monsters had somehow launched itself into the air, swinging its enormous fist and smacking Hinoka cleanly off her mount.

"Sister!" Corrin gasped, racing towards the fallen woman. Even Setsuna and Azama, who were both normally off in their own little worlds, took notice of this attack. Hinoka was clearly dizzy as she recovered, but otherwise looked unfazed, if not a bit bruised.

"Don't worry about me," she clutched her head, "protect the others!"

The throngs of Faceless continued their assault, but didn't seem entirely unintelligent. While several members of Rinkah's Flame Tribe contingent were killed, she herself was spared, although both she and Kaze vanished from the fight without anyone noticing. Too much was happening around them for even the keen-eyed Zenzi to notice until it was too late. Corrin and Azama helped ensure Hinoka's safety, while Setsuna returned to her game of casually beating both Hana and Hinata in body counts ("fifty-six... fifty-seven…"), and it was only after the Faceless began retreating that Corrin and the others realized something was wrong.

"Rinkah is missing!" he shouted, in warning to the others, "and so is Kaze! Has anyone found them yet?" There were plenty of dead (fortunately most of which were Faceless), but none of the Hoshidan ninjas or Flame Tribe Warriors were Kaze and Rinkah.

Hinoka cursed her misfortune as well. Sure they had driven the Faceless back across the border, but at what cost?"

Zenzi and Oboro returned from the woods leading towards the Bottomless Canyon with the grim news of their discovery.

"Lady Hinoka! Lord Corrin!" With how shy Zenzi was, it was not surprising that Oboro was doing the talking, "those Nohrian bastards dragged Kaze and Rinkah across the border. They took some of our other soldiers as well!"

"W-we tried to go after them!" Zenzi reasoned, "but that's not an easy place to traverse!"

"Those damn monsters broke the bridges after them," Oboro growled, her left eye twitching, "and even if they hadn't, there had to be hundreds of those things along the rim of the canyon."

"So they're coordinated then?" Corrin tilted his head.

"That's what I don't get," Oboro narrowed her eyes (her left eye still twitching), "Those things have never been very coordinated in their reckless rampages across our country."

"Th-there was someone standing among them," Zenzi piped up, "I couldn't see who though… they were hard to actually see, and were shrouded in pink flames."

"Pink Flames…" Roku muttered, "Bottomless Canyon…" He was about to mention Valla, but remembered Anankos' warning about the curse. He and Zenzi had been trusted on Hinoka (and later Corrin's) good instinct, and so to suggest an "invisible enemy" to Hoshido right now would not likely sit well. While it was true that neither one of them wished to war with Nohr (especially not with Arozza there), they knew that trying to sympathize with the invading country would probably get them labelled as spies or traitors and neither one wanted that.

"Final count… 42." Hana declared proudly. Neither one of them had heard the news of Rinkah and Kaze yet, and so they were celebrating.

"42!" Hinata grinned. Well that's pretty respectable if you ask me, and definitely not bad for a prodigious samurai like yourself!" Hana's eyes narrowed, gaining a shrewd suspicion that she was not going to like what she was about to hear.

"Of course," Hinata continued, "I happen to be sitting pretty on forty-*three*…"

"You cheated!" Hana gawked.

"How could I cheat?" Hinata was actually telling the truth, although before the two could escalate their argument much further, Corrin and Hinoka interrupted them with the news.

"What!?" The two samurai chanted almost in unison. "Which way did they go? We'll find 'em and take 'em down!"

"Competitive to no end…" Hinoka shook her head, "last we saw, they were taken as the rest of the Faceless retreated over the Bottomless Canyon."

"Oh!" Hana exclaimed, "well that… ohhhh…"

That explained suddenly why the monsters had retreated. Even the most reckless and competitive warriors among the survivors knew that they wouldn't stand a chance once they infiltrated Nohrian territory. The only thing they could do now was turn back around and report to Mikoto and Ryoma about the incident and their losses.

 _=Krakenburg Dungeons, sometime later…=_

Kaze gradually returned to consciousness to the sound of loud banging, a woman yelling, and an occasional orange lighting. Blinking a few times to regain his focus, he saw Rinkah practically throwing herself at the large metal door of their prison cell, occasionally spewing flames against it as well. Clearly there was an enchantment of sorts against it, for the door did not waver in the slightest. She stopped as she noticed Kaze moving out of the corner of her eye.

"Oh, you're awake!" her breathing was a little heavy but she seemed otherwise okay at first glance. "C'mere and help me with this door?"

"How long have you been at it?" Kaze didn't want to shut down her idea too swiftly even if he knew it was futile, "Have you made any progress?"

"No, and I'm fucking pissed!" Rinkah yelled, flames swirling around her fist as she slammed her knuckles against the metal door. "I can't even dent this thing!"

"I don't think our capture was by mere chance," Kaze warned her, "I think they know exactly who we are and plan to make an example of us."

"No shit, huh?" Rinkah stepped back before jump-kicking the door before launching a barrage of fiery punches at it as if it were a foe. "Why do you think I'm trying to hard to bust the hell out of here? Which reminds me-you gonna help?"

"It's a trap," Kaze warned again, frowning. "King Garon is making escape look easy so you'll wear yourself out. The door's clearly fireproof and stronger than any amount of power we can use against it."

"What, are you suddenly my caretaker now?" Rinkah slammed her right fist against the door so fiercely this time that Kaze was fairly certain he heard knuckles crack.

"No, although I see no reason to neglect the well-being of my friends and allies." Kaze reasoned, "Your forehead is still bleeding, you're walking with a slight limp in your left leg, and based on the color of your right hand, you've probably broken something.

Rinkah paused to listen to Kaze's words before sinking into a sitting position against the wall in defeat, a heavily distraught sigh escaping her lips.

"Perhaps death is my best option then," she groaned, "I'm too weak to take down a metal door."

"...A metal door deliberately designed to contain a warrior as fierce as you," Kaze corrected her, "come here. You're not going to be of much use if you're a bloody pulp against the wall."

"I can't just give up!" Rinkah shook her head vigorously, "that… it goes against everything I've ever stood for; everything I've ever been taught."

"We're not giving up." Kaze pulled out some bandaging from his attire, "we're preserving our energy for the right moment. We might still be able to fight our way out of this situation if we wait for the right time. Meanwhile, give me your hand-that definitely can't be normal."

Rinkah's right hand was swollen and purple, with flecks and lines of red from her blood. Kaze wrapped it up and eventually got Rinkah to calm down, where he rubbed a little of the stress from her shoulders.

"Hey," she mentioned after a while, "if anyone ever asks… none of this ever happened."

Shaking his head at how she just wasn't getting it, Kaze smiled. "Not a word, Rinkah." he promised. "Not a word…"


	10. Chapter 10: Demons of Flame and Shadow

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:** _And here we reach the game's 2nd chapter. One of the goals of this fic is to flesh out the other characters as well instead of just making it revolve around Corrin/Kamui,and so we'll be seeing things from different perspectives from time to time. Similarly, in attempts to continue keeping a fairly even balance between Hoshido and Nohr, we'll get to see more of their reactions to these events in Nohr as the time comes. The chapter's title is a reference to some of the characters seen in the chapter, but I'll let you use your imagination as to whom. As always, I both enjoy and encourage feedback, and so I'd love to hear what those who have favorited and/or followed the story have to say about the story's progress so far._  
 _Happy Reading!_

 **CHAPTER 10: Demons of Flame and Shadow**

 _Sing with me a song of Shadows and Flames..._

Kamui knew that Windmire was a foreboding place, just like most of Nohr, but it was just as black as she had envisioned it. It was lit up as if in a perpetual night, with the daunting but magnificent Castle Krakenburg looming over the capital city.

The face of the Nohrian King Garon was impossible to forget. Grey and aged, there wasn't even a shadow of a doubt that he was a stern man. She was somewhat skeptical considering that for as long as she had known the man, he had also had a rather cruel streak, but the other siblings, particularly Xander and Camilla, both also recalled a time when Garon was a lot kinder; still stern and somewhat strict, but also very fatherly. They as well as Kamui wondered what happened, but knew better than to question it.

She was silent as Garon spoke, his voice as authoritative and commanding as Kamui remembered it being.

"I see you made it here safely, Kamui." The king nodded his approval.

"I've longed for this day, Father," Kamui gave a respectful bow, "I have not seen much outside that unforgiving fortress in years."

"And yet you are experienced, and it is thanks to your diligence that you are here." Garon reminded her, "I am told you are a powerful warrior strong enough to not only hold her own against Prince Xander, but also against Princess Camilla as well. You finally possess the skill to be an instrument in Nohr's power in the world."

Kamui nodded to acknowledge that she was still listening, but otherwise it seemed that Garon was not through speaking.

"As you know," Garon continued, "Nohr is at war with the eastern kingdom of Hoshido. They care nothing for the plights of our citizens. They bask in their wealth and well-being that they see no reason to give care or even give trade for those outside their protection. If we cannot win them over with reasoning, we have now turned to war."

"I understand," Kamui nodded, "And I pledge service to the glorious Kingdom of Nohr as long as I still draw breath."

"As you should," Garon nodded, "We of the royal family are descended from the First Dragons. As inheritors of that power we conquer those who oppose us with ease if we learn to properly wield that strength. Those gifted with these abilities and who use them appropriately can decimate legions of common soldiers with ease. I expect no less from one who very well could be the Dusk Dragon Incarnate."

"THE Dusk Dragon?" Kamui gawked, "but Father, doesn't that insinuate me as a god?"

"It means you have far greater power than you realize, child. Do not disappoint me."

"I will do my best to remain in your good graces."

"Good. Xander, Camilla, Leo, and even Elise have all demonstrated possession of this ability, ranging from Elise's awareness, to Leo's proficiency, to Camilla's expertise, to Xander's near-mastery. You hold this same power."

"I am aware of your expectations, father," Kamui promised, "And I have not only trained every day to become as powerful as them, but I've also trained to surpass them, and that's what I aim to do. I will stop at nothing until I have unlocked my full potential."

"Mmm…" Garon muttered, "you show great promise, child. Now you but need a suitable weapon in order to serve Nohr."

Garon raised his hand, and black magic began materializing around it, as if he was summoning something from the black. A dark purple, demonic-looking sword appeared after a few seconds, a sinister eye glowing between the handle of the hilt and the jagged blade itself. Kamui could almost feel the malevolence emanating from this weapon.

"...whoa." was all that Kamui would manage to say.

"This is Ganglari, a sword infused with magic from another world," Garon explained, "With this stord at your side, you will embrace the dark, and crush the light from the Hoshidans with effortless ease."

"Th-thank you for your generous gift, Father." Kamui stammered briefly. She took the sword in her hands, gazing at the material. It almost appeared to be obsidian in make, with some powerful magic holding the blade together. She foolishly ran her hand along the blade, wincing as it cut through the glove of her armor and slit her right palm open.

"I gave you a blade worthy of felling our strongest enemies." Garon reminded her, although almost seemed to find Kamui's injury amusing. "Do not treat it carelessly, or you might find your hand missing next time rather than merely bleeding."

"I apologize, father," Kamui was visibly embarrassed for her sophomoric mistake.

"It is of no concern to me," Garon admitted, "Now, let us see you put this sword to a more proper use. Bring forth the prisoners!"

"Prisoners…" Kamui whispered under her breath, wondering how they had captured Hoshidans so soon, if the war was apparently not even in full force yet…

 _=Krakenburg Dungeons, around the same time…=_

Kaze and Rinkah were surprised when guards unlocked the prison cells. They held their weapons close to ensure that Rinkah in particular did not try to attack them and make a run for it, because that was exactly what they did. She was struck across her dominant arm with a forceful blow of a club before it was harshly tossed towards her.

"No games, girl." the guard warned as Rinkah held her injured arm with her good one. Her wrist was searing and she was pretty sure her arm was fractured. "You can probably kill a few dozen of us if you're really lucky, but you and your ninja friend aren't going to take more than that down before we get you. Is that how you want to be remembered by your kinsmen?"

"I'd rather die than rot in here," Rinkah growled. Kaze remained silent and fairly cooperative, if only to keep from getting assaulted like Rinkha.

"Tell you what… you beat your competitors, and we'll let you walk out of here a free woman."

"And what of me?" Kaze spoke up, wanting to be by Rinkah's side if nothing else to prevent the fiery woman from rushing in and killing herself.

"Same rules apply," the guards shrugged, "now come on, we've got a fight to initiate…"

Rinkah grudgingly followed them, nursing her broken arm as they were led to a small square arena-like location with King Garon and the royal family as part of the audience.

"These are prisoners from our most recent skirmish with Hoshido," Garon began, "I want to see the power you demonstrated against Xander and Camilla with my own eyes. Use that same ferocity and strike them down until they are nothing but bloodied corpses against the floor."

Kamui glanced out at the fiery woman clutching her arm and at the stoic ninja who was awaiting the chance for combat. Both of them had a seething hatred in their eyes burning towards the royal family, particularly the girl, but both of them were either being restrained by some sort of mind-magic, or simply knew that they wouldn't be able to assassinate the royal family from their position and in their ragged condition. The magical barriers keeping them from moving for the moment might have also helped. Kamui's focus was only disrupted by Gunter speaking.

"I shall join you, milady." he offered, "my lance arm is a little rusty but still serviceable."

"No need to be so modest, Gunter," Kamui nudged him, "I've hardly forgotten your training or how strong you were against me."

"Then perhaps it's best you never met me in my prime!" A smile crept onto Gunter's old face as if remembering better times. "Jakob, would you accompany us as well?"

"Naturally," Jakob stepped forward as if he had always been there, "I cannot allow someone of your advanced years to bear this burden alone. Lady Kamui, there will be no need to soil your hands with this filth. Please just relax and leave the fighting to us. I will prepare us some tea afterwards."

"I can't just sit on the sidelines after Father gave me a task," Kamui indicated, although Garon seemed to have no qualms with how the prisoners were killed; just as long as they were killed. "Besides…" her toes curled for a moment. "I think I sense a Dragon Vein."

The three Nohrians stepped into the 'ring' with the red and green fighters they were facing. For as okay as Kamui usually was with fighting and inflicting injury, she was a little skeptical about fighting a woman whose arm was clearly not functioning normally. Rinkah, however, seemed unfazed by her injury and more interested in why she was being stared at.

"I'm Rinkah, princess of the Flame Tribe and daughter of its honorable Chieftain!" She called out, brandishing flames around her left hand as her right arm stayed close to her chest, "what do they call you, Nohrian Princess?"

"Kamui," Kamui had no qualms with giving this girl her name, especially since they were about to kill each other in a battle for the death. The ninja's face changed only slightly at this revelation.

"Kamui…" he whispered, "can it be…?"

"You've heard of me, ninja?" Kamui's head cocked towards the man immediately.

"...I am Kaze, a ninja of Hoshido," he shifted the subject, introducing himself just as Rinkah had. "Let us see what you can do."

"Kill them all!" Garon shouted, and the magical barriers surrounding Kaze and Rinkah vanished, causing them to start moving swiftly but cautiously towards the three Nohrians that stood before them. Kaze engaged Jakob, while Kamui and Gunter took towards Rinkah, figuring they would dispose of her fairly quickly due to her handicap. They were mistaken, and Kamui nearly got cooked by a blast of Rinkah's flames. Kamui retreated, her foot detecting the Dragon Vein she had sensed earlier. She shifted her feet and her eyes flashed briefly, before a pile of rubble in front of them reassembled above them, revealing more of those magical floor tiles. Jakob noticed what was going on and joined Gunter and Kamui inside the radius of the healing aura, and then the three of them took a defensive, whittling down Kaze and Rinkah's strength while keeping their own up, and being careful not to toe the line. Jakob and Kamui were both swift enough to prevent their Hoshidan assailants from entering the vantage zone, and soon it became clear even to Rinkah that she was fighting a losing battle.

Gunter was the one to land a knockout blow against Kaze, whose gaze fell on Kamui one last time before he lost consciousness.

"I… regret… nothing…" he groaned. Almost as if this was a trigger switch of some sort, Rinkah threw her club with ferocious accuracy, and had Jakob not ducked to avoid it, he might have been struck hard enough to cut him in two.

"Do you know why they call us Scions of Flame?" she growled, "lemme demonstrate. BEHOLD the might of the Flame Tribe!" Taking a deep breath, Rinkah spun around and kicked balls of fire towards the defensive Nohrians before facing them head on and barraging them with a steady but massive stream of flame from her mouth like a dragon. Kamui actually recoiled, while the armor on Gunter and his horse kept him mostly safe. Jakob, who had been behind the two of them, was the one to land the final blow on her, causing her to stagger back as she realized that her other arm just became useless.

"N-Nohrian bastards…" she gritted her teeth as she fell to one knee in defeat. Kaze's unconsciousness was brief, but when he woke up to see Rinkah defeated, he sighed.

"So this is how it ends then…" hardly a few days ago he was fighting at Corrin and Hinoka's side, defending their country from Faceless, and now he and one of his friends were doomed to die at the hands of Nohrians-including the one that so many in the Hoshidan Royal Family hoped to see again.

Kamui brought her sword up to eliminate the Flame Tribe girl first, although what she was muttering made her stay her hand a moment.

"Dying like this… 16 years and my journey stopped before it even began… Father was right about me being a reckless fool…"

"You're only 16?" Kamui looked at the muscular girl almost in disbelief. She looked much older and despite her fiery personality, her general behaviour and voice would have suggested to Kamui that she was much older.

"What does it matter?" she growled, holding both her arms to her chest now, "kill me. You won."

"From her own lips," Garon commanded, "why do you idle, idiot girl? Kill her! Kill them both!"

Had Garon always been this bloodthirsty? Had everything Xander ever told her about this man been from a deluded mind, or had something else consumed him while she had been away for so long? She could not be sure.

Luckily, it seemed Leo had a plan and jumped in as if to show it off, before the situation could escalate. Brandishing his divine Brynhildr Tome, he focused his energy on Rinkah and Kaze who braced for the worst. With a powerful blast of fire and light, he fired his magic towards them, the burst from the impact clouding the view. By the time it had subsided, there was nothing left of Rinkah or Kaze to be seen...


	11. Chapter 11: The Foreign Princesses

**AUTHOR'S NOTES:** _I am back from my vacation, which in turn means that this story as well will go back to its regular update schedule. It might slow down just a teeny bit as I work on finalizing one of my other stories, but as Gregor (Garrett?) would say... "Worry not!" I'm not quitting it by any chapter wraps up The game's 2nd chapter, and as promised, we also get an insight or two on what Hoshido is up to in the meantime. Corrin might still be at the palace, but we've got a slew of Hoshidans that show their faces, since I do want to give the characters from both kingdoms fair amounts of 'screen time'._  
 _but I've rambled enough. Here's the 11th installment of my series. Hopefully the steady pace is not too off-putting._  
 _Happy Reading!_

 **CHAPTER 11: The Foreign Princesses**

 _Sing with me a song of Skirmish and Pride..._

Kamui gasped in horror at what she had just witnessed, and Leo seemed as stoic as he closed his time and approached Garon with a cool level of nonchalance.  
"Father," he stated, "I have dispatched the enemies on behalf of our softhearted sister. I only ask that you would be merciful in your punishment towards her."  
"Hmph," Garon almost looked like he was about to question if Leo had actually done the deed. "I will consider the manner later."  
Garon left the scene, leaving Kamui, her siblings and retainers, and a bloody mess behind them where the battle had taken place.

"Did you really have to murder them?" Kamui frowned.  
"Why do you think I didn't leave the bodies?" Leo retorted. A few gears turned in Kamui's head before she realized what he was implying, and she smirked.  
"I owe you one." she nodded, "although I don't think I've heard the end of it quite yet.  
"Strong as you are, little princess, an act of kindness like that may one day be your downfall." Xander warned, "or worse, your death."  
"Perhaps so," Kamui frowned, "but if I die with my honor and dignity intact, I will die happy."  
"...Well said." Xander admitted before calling in the guard and instructing them to search whatever was left, as well as the cell Kaze and Rinkah had been in. As the rest of the people dispersed, Xander took Kamui and they found where Leo had 'moved' the two prisoners, and perhaps because of her, he showed them mercy.

"Listen well," he warned, "It is only because of my sister's kind heart that you draw breath—and will now face your freedom. Disappear now, lest you are seen or captured again by my father or his guards."  
Kaze's eyes briefly connected with Xander's and then Kamui's, before he disappeared without a word. He briefly contemplated sticking around until he knew that Rinkah had also left, considering that the fiery girl was already in critical condition and sometimes didn't know when to retreat, but even then, this was not the first mistake Kaze made.  
Thankfully, he was right about trusting her judgment this time, and she eventually joined him, but not without a few choice words to the Nohrians.  
"I'm not a hostage to be freed," she growled as Xander turned to walk away, briefly leaving Rinkah and Kamui alone together.  
"Don't fool yourself, spitfire," Kamui warned, "you were rotting in prison hardly an hour ago. I do not wish to reverse my decision on the matter."

"You said your name was Kamui," Rinkah growled. She seemed to be analyzing her situation and realizing that she was outgunned. Her right arm was broken, her left arm had been hastily wrapped up to curb the bleeding, and she was walking with a heavy limp.  
"That's me," Kamui was unafraid to share her name.  
"Mark my words then, Kamui," Rinkah's fiery red eyes met Kamui's own red ones, "the next time we meet I will make you pay for my humiliation."

Kamui was frozen in silence, but her face seemed in thought rather than surprised. She could see a streak of her own pride in this woman, also surprised that someone so powerful was so young—and so full of tenacity.  
"Actually, I was hoping the next time we met, that it could be under better circumstances—and maybe even as friends." Kamui admitted. While she was fine with fighting for what she wanted, considering her past and how that was one of her main pastimes back in the Northern Fortress, she felt like had the two of them met under different circumstances, they might have actually become friends despite Rinkah's hostile exterior.  
"Don't be a fool," Rinkah shook her head, "I'm a Hoshidan warrior. You don't understand what you suggest, nor do you realize the strength of your enemy."  
"I'm pretty sure I realized the strength of my enemy after being offered the opportunity to slay you after my defeat. Don't do this to yourself, woman. I am not a warmonger. I dream of seeing a day where we can resolve the conflict and ideally become a world at peace."

"I'm sorry that I'm not tiptoeing through the tulips in delight from your oh so merciful gesture, princess. I've heard of you, and just like your brother, you've got a few serious reality checks to face before you're ready to take on anyone."  
"Then mark my words, we'll meet again and decide then who humiliates who," Kamui frowned, "safe travels, princess. I do not wish for even my enemies to die by the wayside."  
Rinkah gritted her teeth and staggered away, miraculously avoiding being seen by the guards or any of Garon's men. She swore bitterly to herself, grumbling about her humiliation and defeat as she caught back up with Kaze.  
"I was almost certain you were going to provoke her into changing her mind," He commented.  
"No…" Rinkah sighed, "but we really need to get the hell out of here before they come back."

 _=The borders of Hoshido, a couple days later…=_

Because of the militaristc power of Nohr, as well as their legions of Faceless that often patrolled the borders, very few Hoshidans could get into Nohr without being caught. Still, any time Hoshidans were dragged across the borders, search and rescue parties were usually sent out from Shirasagi Castle Town to try and rescue them, or at least find indications of where they went. Kaze and Rinkah were both fairly important assets to Hoshido's strength, and so ambitious would-be rescuers were working around the clock to try and bring them back.

A great deal of excitement burst out when Zenzi, who was with the party, noticed movement coming from the fringes of the canyon. She blew a horn to alert others of her position, with Saizo and Hinoka being among those who came.

"Oh gods…" Hinoka gasped upon seeing who was there with Zenzi, "Get help! Bring me a shrine maiden, stat!" A few soldiers left as Hinoka raced towards the figure Zenzi had spotted. A rather bloodied Kaze fell to his knees in exhaustion, an unconscious Rinkah over his shoulders.  
"Don't… mind me…" he whispered, his voice heavy from obvious exhaustion, "I just… need rest. This blood is mostly hers."

Rinkah was taken to a nearby tent with the hopes of being revitalized, while Kaze rested. Naturally, he was the one to come back to consciousness and functionality first, and shortly after he did, he found Saizo, Zenzi, and Hinoka waiting for him, the former of which was practically right in his brother's face.  
"What I want to know," he grunted, "is how you got out of there. As loathe as I am to admit it, I had assumed you were done for, brother."  
"And yet you remained?" Kaze raised an eyebrow.  
"I assumed it was denial, but even then I did not want to admit it. It was bad enough to lose our father to hostiles; I did not wish the same to be said about my brother."  
"I am well." Kaze admitted, "shaken, and still rather exhausted, but I am well."

"Oh thank goodness!" Zenzi gasped, and an audible sigh of relief was heard from Hinoka behind her. "We were all so terribly worried about you!" Zenzi might not have known the Hoshidans very long, but the way they had taken her and Roku in made her feel right at home as if this was a family she had never had. She did still occasionally wonder what had become of Arozza, but she figured fate would continue to play its course.

"How did you escape?" Hinoka looked skeptical—not so much believing that Kaze and Rinkah were not the real Kaze and Rinkah, but more because of how difficult it was for prisoners of Nohr to escape on their own.  
"A Nohrian princess rescued us." Kaze explained, "Rinkah and I fought against her and her retainers in combat for the king's pleasure."  
"Vile Nohrians!" Hinoka spat, "of course they'd use you for sport!"  
"That's why Rinkah's so beat-up." Kaze cracked a half smile, though it was short-lived considering that he did not know his comrade's welfare. "That reminds me… how is she?"

"She's stable," Hinoka explained, "but her arm was fractured and she technically should probably be dead. She's got some serious resilience, that kid does."  
"Good," Kaze sighed in relief. "I will retire now as well, if I may, Lady Hinoka."  
"By all means," the fiery-haired princess responded. Right as Kaze started to turn, however, she stopped him.  
"Hold…" she put a hand on his shoulder, "you said that a Nohrian princess rescued you and Rinkah. Did you get her name?"  
"It was almost certainly Kamui," Kaze nodded grimly, "my, how she's grown."  
"Kaze if this is a joke, I swear…" Hinoka trembled for a moment.

"I would not lie about something this vital, Lady Hinoka," Kaze reassured her, "Lady Kamui is alive and well in Nohr… or I assume she is well, at least. She is also very strong and very dangerous. Most of these wounds were inflicted on us by her rather than her retainers."  
"Who are her retainers, if I may ask?" Zenzi spoke up again, "I-I don't want to sound nosy or anything, but one of our friends is in Nohr…"  
"The two that fought us were two men: a veteran named Gunter and a butler who called himself Jakob," Kaze explained, "although the name Arozza came up, if that's what you're asking."

"So the Nohrians have not only kept her but also indoctrinated her," Hinoka muttered under her breath, "they've turned her against us. We need to get her back."  
"I think I can come up with something," Saizo spoke. No one was quite sure when he had appeared, but as a ninja, no one really questioned it either. "Rest, brother. I'll handle this."  
"What did you have in mind?" Hinoka tilted her head slightly as she turned to him.  
"We'll need Rinkah to recover as well." Saizo began, "And consultation with your brother Lord Ryoma. He knows King Garon's antics more than I do. Ultimately, however, if what I know of that man is correct, he believes Kamui's time has come. So, similar to what he's done with his other siblings, he'll send them on some scouting mission and exert Nohrian dominance over some small border settlement or village without getting past Queen Mikoto's barrier."

"But how will we know where she strikes?"  
"We won't. But if King Garon does the same thing to Lady Kamui as he did to Lord Xander and Lady Camilla, odds are she will go on this mission alone, or with her retainers, at best. As much as I hate to say it, Nohrian methods do have their merits."  
"Are you saying you're going to sacrifice a division?"  
"Hardly; but a small contingent of occupied forces might help lure her where we want her. A few dozen archers and samurai congregated closely enough together will likely force her to either retreat or find a different way forward. We can take it from there."  
"I'll talk to my brother about it," Hinoka nodded, "but if you think this plan can actually work and get our sister back to us… I for one am willing to try whatever it takes…"  
"I would not suggest it if I were not competent that it had a chance of working," Saizo reassured her, "I serve my liege and his family, and I am no traitor."

At this point there would be a brief series of waiting games: one for Rinkah and Kaze to recover, one to bring Saizo's plan back to Ryoma and then to carry it out; and lastly for Kamui to hopefully take the bait and be returned home...


	12. Chapter 12: The Hoshidan Ploy

**AUTHOR'S NOTES:** T _his story might go from twice a week to about every 4 days, although I won't 'officially' declare that. I might just need to fight for my muse a bit harder. Whatever the case, here's chapter 12. It kicks off the events of the game's 3rd chapter, although soon it will diverge from the story much more than it has been so far. Without spoiling too much, I can already promise that there's going to be a lot that happens in Hoshido when the twins meet, and before dear Mikoto kicks the bucket. But enough of that. Here's the chapter, only a few minutes late all in all._  
 _Happy Reading!_

 **CHAPTER 12: The Hoshidan Ploy**

 _Sing with me a song of Conflicts and Schemes..._

It took a few days for Kaze and Rinkah (particularly the latter) to recover, but the search party was able to return back home after they were in good enough health. Rinkah insisted that she was fine despite still having a slight limp in her step, and she was so adamantly stubborn about it that even Hinoka gave up arguing. Still, the flame princess didn't cause any commotion during their return, and so as far as the others (and her) were concerned, she was well again.

Mikoto and Ryoma were pleased and relieved to see that everyone they had sent out was alive and well, and that Kaze and Rinkah had been successfully recovered. Roku was a little distance away from most of the women, although one side of his lip curled slightly upward when he saw that Zenzi was okay.

"Big brother!" Hinoka seemed a little jumpy from what was perceived as excitement, "Kaze and Rinkah are home from Nohr—alive and well."

"Normally I would say that is wonderful news," he nodded, certainly pleased about their return, but his expression showed some suspicion. "But it piques my curiosity. People do not normally escape from Nohr without bloodshed—and they are not exactly merciful to those of higher rank. How did they survive?"

"A princess released them," Hinoka explained, "and they're pretty certain it's Kamui."  
Corrin, who was present but had remained silent thus far, widened his eyes, and his pointed ears twitched noticeably.  
"My sister is alive?" he seemed a little shocked at the revelation. "And in Nohr?"  
"That's all I was able to get out of Rinkah and Kaze;" Hinoka explained.

"Where are they now?" Corrin seemed almost frantic for a moment. "Zenzi?" he cocked his head towards one of his retainers.

"Th-they're resting." Zenzi stuttered, "Rinkah is still in serious condition."  
"I need to talk to them," Corrin insisted. Hinoka shrugged half a shoulder.  
"They should be fine, Zenzi," she explained, "I'd suggest Kaze though. Rinkah might kill anyone who tries waking her up at this point."

Zenzi took Corrin to where Kaze and Rinkah were resting, and the sounds of the latter's snores filled the air. Kaze sat up when Corrin approached him though.  
"I am pleased to announce my return, milord," he greeted Corrin, "how may I help you?"  
"You were in Nohr, yes?" Corrin began, "and they say you saw my sister."

"A woman who called herself Kamui was sent out by King Garon to fight us. She resembles you even down to her eyes and the color of her hair." Kaze began explaining, "she nearly killed us—and was commanded by King Garon to do so, in fact… but she refused."  
"Why?" Corrin tilted his head. "What compelled a Nohrian to save you two?"

"I am unsure of her motives," Kaze shook his head, "but I was also not really in any position to ask her of them. Perhaps Nohr is not as poison to her mind as we suspected."  
"I don't trust them," Corrin frowned, "but I trust you that you're telling the truth."  
"I've hardly any reason to lie to you, Lord Corrin," Kaze reassured him, "but more importantly, my brother and I may have come up with a plan to help lure her out of Nohr."  
"I do not want violence," Corrin shook his head, "especially not against my twin sister."

"Ideally, it would end with minimal or no violence at all," Kaze clarified, "although you would have to talk to Saizo about it. Moreover, Princess Hinoka is discussing it with Prince Ryoma and Lady Mikoto before we can even try something this bold."

Kaze continued to explain the logistics of Saizo's scheme, clarifying that it would be an attempt to lure Nohr out. Hoshido had faced losses at the hands of Prince Xander and Princess Camilla on two different occasions when Garon had sent them both out on individual missions where they and their retainers skirted the border to harass Hoshidan guards without getting too deep into the country. Now it was Kamui's turn to join the tradition.

"It's risky though," Corrin concluded once he had heard the explanation. "Do you think Ryoma is the kind of person that would let it go through?"

"We're not mounting an attack; just a defense," Kaze explained, "King Garon is going to send Princess Kamui our way no matter what we do in response, and so if we can get them to send her where we want her, it would benefit her and us at the same time."

Corrin nodded, content with that answer. He thanked Kaze for the time and returned to find Hinoka and Ryoma discussing the pros and cons of the idea. Saizo backed Hinoka on the argument, while Mikoto's retainer Yukimura stood with Ryoma to weigh the cons of this advance.

"I take full responsibility for the maneuver and those involved," Saizo clarified, "and while I have few concerns over obtaining this Nohrian Princess myself, I understand that she is vitally important both to my liege and his family and so will do everythign in my power to return her to you and slay all who oppose us."

"I will support your movement, Saizo," Ryoma declared, "But know that she must be brought back alive. Ideally we seek as little violence as possible. We should not give Nohr further ammunition against us."

"Of course, Lord Ryoma," Saizo nodded in agreement, "You should know by now that I work swiftly and efficiently, and unlike Nohrians, I do not treat lives as disposable resources. Rinkah and I will minimize casualties to the best of our abilities and we will bring your sister home."

Corrin seemed pleased with what he was hearing, although he was still not entirely sure what Saizo and Rinkah were planning and how they intended to execute it. Ryoma seemed convinced, however, and Hinoka's smile indicated that she had gotten her way.

Saizo turned to Corrin when he noticed the boy in the room.

"We have our strategy ready to commence, Lord Corrin." he assured him, "Kagero and I will situate a small garrison in the old Daishan Fortress near the border. Rinkah's job is to retrieve your sister."

"Wonderful," Corrin was more of a tactician and less of a fighter, and he saw this plan as something viable, "I await your return."

 _=Castle Krakenburg, around the same time…=_

Kamui learned quickly to fearfully respect Garon, especially after he warned her of a punishment but then did not say what it was. It left her with a sense of dread that not even Camilla could resolve, even if she knew her siblings would cover for her.

Of the four, Elise was the most persistent, following Kamui all the way to the throne room after Garon summed Kamui to finally lay down the verdict.

"Alright Kamui," she assured her older sister, "let's go in there together. I'll help as much as possible. Father might be kinda scary sometimes, but he has to forgive you, right?"

"I'd hope so," Kamui shook her head, "I mean, I'm his child right?"  
"Exactly!" Elise jumped up and down, "Father's not mean enough to kill his own kid!"  
"I certainly hope you're right, Elise." Kamui smiled, "thanks…"  
"Alrighty... " Elise approached the door, "deep breaths, big sis! Here we go!" she pushed the doors to Garon's Throne Room open.

"Father!" she called out, with minimal regards to what Garon might be doing, "we have something we need to talk to you about!"

However, after Elise had spoken, Garon was heard laughing, though it was cut short upon Elise calling out.  
"Who enters?" he demanded, his eyes scanning the room until he saw Elise and Kamui.  
"Oh! We didn't know you were busy, Father! We apologize if this is not a good time!"

Garon seemed contemplative for a moment before grunting.  
"Think little of it; but do not disrupt me again." he warned. "What is it?"  
"We're here to apologize for the other day, right Kamui?" Elise piped up.  
"Aye," Kamui added, "I wanted to apologize, Father, for my softheartedness the other day."

"You disobeyed a direct order from me, Kamui." Garon looked the child right in the eyes, his menacing, authoritative stare actually striking fear into Kamui's normally rather stout heart, "under normal circumstances you would not be alive."

"I understand," Kamui began, "although I can expla-"  
"Silence!" Garon barked, "However… as you are my child, Kamui, I will grant you some leeway this once. I have something for you to do for me…"

"Is this my coming of age ritual?" Kamui had heard whispered rumours of this floating around the castle, particularly from her older siblings' retainers. Laslow and Peri were discussing it with Zul and Varrick, whispering about how the middle child would soon likely get sent to the border. Originally Kamui had suspected it was a punishment, although one of Camilla's retained had cleared it up for her.

"Indeed," Garon nodded, "this mission is rather simple, and should you complete it, I will pardon your crime in full."

"Tell me what I need to do then, Father." Kamui request.

"There is a fortress the Hoshidans refer to as Daishan, perched in the Bottomless Canyon on the fringes near our borders." Garon began, "it is abandoned and ripe for the taking provided the building is not too derelict. Your job will be to investigate the area and verify if the area is clear of Hoshidans and if the buildings are still serviceable. It is merely a scouting mission—travel there and inspect the premises, and if you don't become careless or behave foolishly, there should be no conflict or battle required."

"Yes, Father." Kamui nodded, only for Garon to look her right in the eyes again.  
"Do you understand?" Garon's brows furrowed, "I will not tolerate being disappointed in you twice, little princess."

Kamui's eye twitched slightly. Hearing Xander's affectionate nickname for her come out of lips like Garon's didn't feel right; almost as if he was violating the phrase.  
"I understand father," she sighed, "and should I fail I will have earned the execution. I will not fail you again—the mission will be done."

"Good," Garon frowned, although that was one of his signs of approval when it looked the way it did now, "Make the necessary preparations. I will alert your retainers, but aside from them you are to go on this mission alone—so plan accordingly. You leave in two days' time."

Kamui returned to her room after the conversation, musing about what to do and how to prepare. She was alone for a while, although after several hours of brooding in her room, a walk around the castle led her right into the Arozza, Camilla's white-haired retainer. The woman intrigued Kamui because she seemed to feel just as foreign to Nohr as Kamui felt.

"I heard the king's verdict," Arozza seemed almost apologetic.  
"I'll be okay," Kamui reassured her with a half-smile. "I'm tougher than I look. Thank your liege and my sister for that one."  
"I believe it;" Arozza admitted, "I'm just a little envious that I can't come along."  
"Why? You down for potential battling too or something?"

"Not so much that… rather, I want to peek into Hoshido again. I lost friends there."  
"They… who got them?" Kamui tilted her head.  
"I'm not sure; they might still be alive." Arozza shrugged, "their names are Roku and Zenzi though, if you run into soldiers there and somehow get their names."  
"Hopefully there's no conflict at all;" Kamui shook her head, "I don't mind a bit of fighting, but I feel like pissing off Hoshido would be like throwing a rock at a bee nest."  
"I know," Arozza sighed, "it's more just wishful thinking anyways. Still…"

"Fair enough…" Kamui nodded. She continued walking, heading for the practice courtyard. Perhaps the demonic sword that Garon had given her could be of some use if she learned to more effectively wield it...


	13. Chapter 13: The Journey Begins

**AUTHOR'S NOTES:** _A slight delay, but not even 24 hours. We move into the game's 3rd chapter with a brief insight into Hoshido, and a few slight spins to make the differences in Kamui's character a bit clearer. This chapter follows most of the game's chapter 3, but is far from just a simple plagiarism. That said, the updating schedule of this fic might go from twice a week to every 4 or 5 days due to the lengths of these chapters, but I don't plan on scrapping this fic by any means. I've put too much into it and gotten too much traffic._  
 _But... I'll spare the rant. Happy Reading!_

 **CHAPTER 13: The Journey Begins**

 _Sing with me a song of Travels and Scouts..._

Kamui spent the next two days vigorously training, both to ensure that she was strong enough to fend for herself out there, but also because she was admittedly nervous about the endeavour. It seemed too easy for Garon to want her to waltz in and check out a fortress. She suspected a trap, although was mostly worried that the conniving Hoshidans would be behind it instead.

There were a lot of people in Castle Krakenburg that Kamui had not met, and so it was hardly a surprise when she saw a maid or servant or visitor that she didn't recognize. Heck, she still hadn't even gotten to know the names or faces of her siblings' retainers yet.

There was at least one man that made the hair on the back of her neck stand up, however. During one of her sessions at the barracks, striking a practice dummy with increased vigor, she could practically feel someone's icy breath down her neck, as if the room's temperature had suddenly dropped a few degrees. She spun around, her hand still tightly gripping her sword, and took a step back from surprise. The masked sorcerer in front of her gave her a conniving smile, and his voice dripped with false flattery that clearly reeked of a hidden agenda.

"Umm… can I help you?"Kamui rarely trained with her armor in when she was indoors, and it seemed the intricate scar patterns carving up her arms and legs had taken the man's attention for a moment, if his wandering eyes were any indicator.

"Oh no, don't mind me," the man's tone turned oddly innocent, "I'm merely observing the movements and behaviours of King Garon's pride and joy. I am Nohr's finest tactician, after all, and so it is my duty to know each of our country's strongest soldiers as much as I can."

Kamui's ears twitched, and it was clear that she didn't believe this man's motives at all. Her red eyes narrowed and it almost looked like she was about to say something in retort, but she reconsidered it at the last minute. The man almost seemed to return this gesture with a taunting grin of his own.

"Do I know you?" Kamui finally spoke up a moment later.

"If you do not, you are making a mistake," the sorcerer warned, "but you may address me as Iago, grand strategist to King Garon himself, and general of the Nohrian armies."

"A pleasure, Iago," Kamui nodded, although her own voice was practically dripping with subtle sarcasm as well. "Now, are you here to teach me new moves, or are you just here to get in my way? I don't want to be cutting any heads off here…"

"My, my… that tenacity will get you far if you know the right way to point your sword, darling…" Iago cooed, "Keep up the good work though; you never know when those wily Hoshidans might try to plunge a dagger in your back."

With a deft pivot on his heel and a swish of his robes, Iago strode away, leaving a befuddled Kamui in his wake. She loosened her deathgrip on the hilt of her sword, took a deep breath to help herself focus, and then went back to work.

The two days sometimes felt like only two hours, for before Kamui knew it, the time had come for her to prepare for her departure. Jakob and Gunter were handling weapons and supplies for the journey, and Kamui was fully armed and armored, saying her goodbyes.

"Normally I'm not one to question Father's words," Camilla began, "but I don't like the looks of this. Are you sure you're going to be okay out there, darling?"

"Ideally I'd say so," Kamui admitted, "but I'm as skeptical about it as you are. Hopefully I'm just being paranoid and overthinking it. Maybe it really is just an abandoned fort."

"Of all times to be skeptical, this is probably the most appropriate," Leo pointed out, "it's not like Father to be so forgiving, even to his own children."

"I'm more worried about that Iago fellow," Kamui shrugged one shoulder, "He seems exactly like the kind of man to whisper foul things into Father's ear… and with a face and a voice like that he's bound to go 'mwah ha ha!' at some point, I just know it."

"Don't worry," Elise butted in, "and Leo, you shouldn't be trying to scare Kamui before her first mission like that!"

"I've always been paranoid though, baby sister;" Kamui gave a lighthearted chuckle, "I trust no one—not even myself."

"And those witticisms, it seems," Leo almost rolled his eyes.

"Well then," Camilla cracked her knuckles, "I guess I'm just going to have to tag along either way to make sure my little darling sister is safe."

Before Kamui could even discuss the notion with Camilla, however, Iago's voice emanated from behind them.

"I'm afraid that's not possible," he smirked as he entered the room. Camilla, however, was having none of that.

"Why ever not, Iago?" She frowned, Camilla was not used to being told what to do, especially when it came between her and Kamui; or between her and a good fight.

"The reasoning is simple, Lady Camilla," Iago almost seemed to have rehearsed this explanation, "King Garon intends this mission as an expedition of sorts. He would like to know if Princess Kamui is worthy of joining you and your brother as the Great Vanguards of Nohr. This is her rite of passage the same way you had yours and Xander had his. Therefore, your assistance would just muddy her results. Surely you understand."

"Just because I understand doesn't mean I have to like it." Camilla pouted, "but she won't be entirely alone, will she?"

"Not at all, Camilla." Garon stepped into the room.

"Father!" Kamui and Camilla both looked equally surprised, "I didn't see you there!"

"Rest assured I will not be sending you out there completely defenseless, Kamui." Garon promised, "apart from your retainers, of course, I have another soldier who will accompany you."

A bald, grizzled man wielding a wicked-looking battleaxe stumped out, smirking and licking his lips. Kamui was not sure if it was a perverted stare at Kamui's body, or if he was just excited to go out there and kill things. His presence certainly made it feel like this was not just going to be merely scouting a fortress.

"Milord…" Hans bowed respectfully before his king.

"This is Hans," Garon introduced the man, "He is a veteran warrior who will ensure that no trouble befalls you."

"Thank you, Father," Kamui feigned sincerity, not wanting to cross Garon even more when she was already on thin ice, "Out of curiosity, did Xander and Camilla have this sort of assistance during their rites of passage as well?"

"I have higher expectations of you, Dusk Dragon," Garon replied, "and as such I am offering you an extra measure of security to ensure your survival."

Kamui nodded and began heading back to get her things while Jakob and Gunter met back up with Hans. While Kamui was returning to them, Xander joined her and walked beside her.

"I'd be wary of that man if I were you, Kamui," he warned.

"I already am," Kamui shook her head, "what kind of person is he? I mean, I can't exactly imagine him petting small puppies or anything."

"He's an ex-criminal;" Xander explained, "a murderer and a scoundrel, to say the least about him. I arrested him myself a few years ago, and would have sentenced him to death had Father not intervened. Now he thinks that Hans has been rehabilitated, but I'm not so sure."

"I'll keep my wits about me then," Kamui promised.

"A wise choice, Little Princess," Xander nodded, "because if nothing else, he is a formidable soldier—to friend and foe alike."

"I see…" Kamui mused. "Thank you for the tip."

 _=Bottomless Canyon, sometime later…=_

The journey to the Bottomless Canyon was unremarkable, although Kamui kept a close eye on Hans, who surprisingly seemed to behave rather civilly for most of the trip here. He did go a little out of the way to retrieve a throwing axe after he had thrown it into a wild animal, but that was not really enough to brand someone as good or evil in Kamui's eyes. The canyon itself was far more menacing than Hans could even dream of being, however; with pitch-black skies, dead, gnarled trees and jagged rocks, and vicious lightning strikes in all directions. This place was one that housed a great evil, and even the Nohrians knew it. However, the Daishan fortress where Kamui and her party were arriving was not as deserted as it first appeared...

"They're sending only four of theirs against us here?" Saizo grunted, "feh; and here I expected a challenge. This one's you, Omozu. Remember the rules of engagement."

"We will conduct our business with the safety of our countrymen at the forefront," Omozu explained, "and provided that our safety is assured, we will do what we can to slow the princess down. Your men are responsible for her capture if that is what you seek."

"Not to worry," Saizo nodded, glancing towards Rinkah, who was at his side. "We'll handle it."

"I hate the idea of sitting idly while you get to bash their heads in though." Rinkah commented.

"Ideally, it won't come to that." Omozu explained, "If they are merely scouts the way they claim, they will see that we will not allow them to pass and be on their way."

The Hoshidans laid low, with Saizo vanishing into the shadows as well while Rinkah pulled back to wait for Kamui after the battle. They took to the shadows, hiding behind rocks or roots or in some of the old and slightly run-down buildings in the area, staying deathly silent and giving off the atmosphere that the fortress was truly deserted. However, Hoshido was not about to surrender its lands, or even its fortresses, to Nohrian marauders. Thus, a small location such as this one was protected by the small contingent. Once Kamui came into view no one moved. Her next actions would determine how the Hoshidans would react.

"So… is this 'Bottomless Canyon' really bottomless?" Kamui tilted her head as she glanced around at the dark, hostile, unforgiving landscape.

"Let the eternal darkness below us be your answer," Gunter warned, "For those who fall in will never return. Perhaps Nohr and Hoshido were meant to be divided by this fetid place. It was clearly one that we mortals were not ever meant to enter."

Kamui frowned, looking around and realizing that Gunter had a point.

"I truly despise this miserable place," Gunter continued, "The sky is always dark and lightning keeps even the boldest flyers groundbound. Normally I would suggest that we go around, but the Daishan fortress we came to survey is just right over there." he pointed across the chasm where a few rickety bridges connected the cliffs, and a worn but still intact Hoshidan fortress awaited them, seemingly deserted.

"It's somewhat exhilarating to me, to be honest," Kamui quipped, "although that might just be my thrill-seeking side doing the talking. I haven't had a thrill like this since that one time with Camilla where we took… ehh, never mind."

"Ha," Gunter let out a small chuckle, "either way I suppose it puts age and youth into perspective, milady. But come… let us proceed."

They did not get very far, however. After taking hardly a few steps onto the rickety bridges, Hoshidans started pouring out of every crack imaginable on the other side of the bridges and around the old fort.

"Blast!" Gunter growled, "this place is not as abandoned as we thought! Why the devil is this gods-forsaken place crawling with Hoshidans?!"

Kamui froze, analyzing the situation.

"It is your call, Milady, but I would strongly recommend turning back," Gunter suggested, "we have what we need to know, and we are vastly outnumbered."

"Right," Kamui nodded, although as she looked around and even behind her, she was pretty certain she saw ninjas and maybe even an archer or two, zipping through the trees and rocks. She had a hunch, and if it were true, the Hoshidans were surrounding them even now…


	14. Chapter 14: The She-Devil of Hoshido

**AUTHOR'S NOTES:** _I have this headcanon that Gunter and Reina know each other from earlier encounters. That said, this chapter starts closing up the game's 3rd chapter, and from there we'll get to deal with the magical castle, and soon the escapades in Hoshido, where hopefully I'll be able to develop the relationship between the twins, and also flesh out dear Mikoto before she gets taken from us. Also, I will never apologize for any Princess Bride quotes or references. Never ever._  
 _Happy Reading!_

 **CHAPTER 14: The She-Devil of Hoshido  
**

 _Sing with me a song of Demons and Dark..._

"Hold!" the Hoshidans warned, "Do not advance any further, Nohrians!"  
"Crossing those bridges armed as you are is a violation of our peace treaty," Omozu added as a warning, "Turn back at once, and you will not only be spared, but we will call off our men. Draw a weapon against us, and you will force us to attack."

"We're not here to fight," Kamui called out, although muttered 'though I'd like to make a few heads roll with that kind of smug attitude…'  
"What do you propose, milady?" Jakob spoke up for the first time on the journey; he knew that soldiers and politics were not really his thing, which was part of why he had settled for and come to enjoy his life as a butler.

"I suppose at this point we turn back and report to Father that this place is crawling with Hoshidan ninjas and snipers," Kamui shrugged. "We're too outnumbered to engage anyways."  
"A wise decision, Lady Kamui," Gunter approved.  
"Who asked you, old man?" Hans growled, licking his lips as he brandished his axe.  
"Hans, the fuck are you doing!?" Kamui shouted as Hans raced right in towards a crowd of Hoshidans, swinging his axe fiercely and nearly slicing four of them in half. None of the injured soldiers got back up.

"Die, Hoshidan scumbags!" He cackled, winding his axe up for another swing,  
"Fiend!" Omozu shoted, "you'll pay for this! Archers!"  
"Hans, seriously!" Kamui shouted, as she, Jakob, and Gunter watched each other's backs, "what the fuck are you thinking? We had no reason to engage these troops!"

"Speak for yourself, whelp!" Hans laughed, now dodging arrows as he closed in on the archers. Naturally, his actions led Kamui, Gunter, and Jakob to become guilty by association.  
"Soldiers of Hoshido!" Omozu shouted, "hear me! Strike them down! Leave none of these Nohrian cowards alive!"  
"Looks like you'll get your fight after all, Lady Kamui," Gunter groaned, drawing his weapon as Jakob whipped out a pair of knives.  
"This is not what I wanted either," Kamui brandished the demon sword Ganglari, "but I'll do what I must to protect my friends."

"If we can reach the fort we can likely break through their ranks," Gunter pointed out as they began defending themselves from the Hoshidan onslaught, "That commander's own line is fairly weak, considering he has put a majority of his troops at the bridges as chokeholds."

"I still want to know what the hell Hans was thinking?" Kamui gritted her teeth. He had charged right into the fray and had killed at least another half dozen soldiers before he grabbed his axe and hightailed it right out of there. He explained his own actions as he raced past the other three Nohrians leaving a light trail of blood and a slew of angry Hoshidans in his wake.

"Haha, I've done enough damage for the time being!" He taunted as he disappeared into the dark, gnarled woods, "time to lay low and see how this all plays out!"  
"Fuck you, Hans…" Kamui growled. As the scrambled to hold their position, Kamui sensed something in the ground similar to what she picked up when fighting Rinkah and Kaze; and when fighting Xander and Camilla in the Northern Fortress: a Dragon Vein.

"Here goes nothing!" she shouted, stamping her foot against the ground. The cliffs rumbled as if they were going to collapse, but then a stone bridge emerged right where Kamui was standing that led right around the armies and right to the fortress.

"Gods!" Omozu exclaimed as he stood his ground but also tried to rally troops for a defense that he did not anticipate needing to create, "Did anyone else just see what she did with that cliff? Hold the line, men! What in oblivion are we dealing with here…?"

However, his small contingent was not enough to stop the three Nohrians, who were much stronger than Omozu had anticipated. Jakob was nearly impossible to strike because of his agility, and Gunter's armor was thick and resilient. Kamui was as fierce as a berserker, shrugging off the pain as she charged towards her adversaries in a passionate counterattack. Despite their resistance, Omozu and the Hoshidans could not repel the three attackers, and soon he was defeated as soundly as his men. The Hoshidans that had been guarding the bridges that Hans had tried carving his way across had reached the fortress, but Kamui's vantage point from inside the fortress enabled her and her retainers to maintain their advantage and strike down most of them.

"Do you realize what you've done?" Omozu warned as he gathered his men to begin a retreat, "Hoshido will not stand for unprovoked attacks like this. Revenge will be ours, and you will face justice at our hands!"

Without Hans to continue the aggression, Kamui ordered Gunter and Jakob to cease their fire, and they allowed the Hoshidans a safe retreat—or what they had assumed was a retreat. For the moment, however, it was silent, and they were alone.

"Well…" Kamui ripped an arrow out of her shoulder that she was previously unaware of during her earlier adrenaline rush, "this wasn't what I had in mind when Father told me to 'scout out a fortress', although I suppose I should have seen it coming."  
"Indeed," Jakob nodded, "whatever the case, milady, it seems we have completed the mission. We should return and report to King Garon as soon as possible."  
"I do not think that is possible just yet." Gunter's eyes widened, and for a moment, Kamui was actually terrified. Behind her, Gunter was clearly fixated on something that was either instilling genuine fear into his heart, or was simply so surprising that he was speechless.

"Lady Kamui, watch out!" He jumped right off his horse and jumped in front of Kamui, his shield deflecting a pair of arrows. Kamui spun around and saw a lone Kinshi rider approaching them with a terrifying glint in her eye.

"I know this woman," Gunter growled, "they called her the 'She-Devil of Hoshido' back in my day."  
"Well, well…" the blue-haired woman slowed her Kinshi's flight, landing not far from where the trio was standing, "Gunter, my dear boy, what a pleasure it is to see you again… although I must admit I was hoping to hear your screams of pain as I ended your life for real this time."

"Reina," Gunter frowned, knowing that they probably couldn't talk their way out of this one, "you should have just stayed down the last time we fought."  
"As long as you still lead troops, you're as good a match for me as any."  
"I serve under Princess Kamui." Gunter began. Incidentally, Kamui already had a story on the tip of her tongue. It was worth a shot.

"One of our own went rogue and stabbed us in the back," Kamui began, "Very well might have been a Hoshidan spy the whole time. We fought primarily in self-defense, and offered the attackers a retreat."

"Whether or not that story is actually true, I'm here on a mission, Princess Kamui," Reina deducted the girl's name from Gunter's earlier remarks, "despite my earlier interactions with your friend Gunter here, I am here because I was instructed to end your life. Do try to put some character into your death cry for me, dear—I'm a connoisseur."

"Well, shit." Kamui frowned, "so much for diplomacy."  
"I like you!" Reina laughed, flipping herself back onto her steed and drawing her bow. "You don't mince words. You seem a decent person; I hate to kill you."  
"You seem a decent person;" Kamui admitted. There really was something almost soothing about her voice and demeanour, but Kamui couldn't put her finger on it. "I hate to die."  
"Perhaps I can let Saizo do the work for me then, hmm? Oh, but I will miss your screams—or linger long enough to hear them."

No sooner had she said these words when a red-haired ninja appeared as if out of nowhere, his single eye fixated on Kamui.  
"My name is Saizo," he grunted, "And I have come to take your life."  
He was surrounded by another small contingent of Samurai at these words. Kamui opened her mouth but did not speak. Saizo took this as an opportunity to speak himself.

"Destroy them all." THat was the only cue the soldiers needed to press their attack, but before they could reach the trio, a shockwave knocked them back, and suddenly the rest of the Nohrian family was on the scene.

"Seems we've arrived just in time," Leo quipped as Camilla didn't even bother with words; instead racing right in with her axe. "You really do have the devil's own luck, sister."

"Leo!" Kamui exclaimed, mustering up more courage as they began pushing the Hoshidans back. Gunter and Jakob kept their focus on Reina, who was trying to rain terror down from the skies on them, but it seemed that Jakob's deft hands knew how to throw the heavy arrows like knives, and so it became a game of exchange. "How did you know we were in trouble?"

"Usually if you're gone more than 11 minutes that means there's trouble." Leo quipped, "Rite of passage or not, this is not a fight you can reasonably win with numbers that small."  
"Well, thanks for the help." Kamui exclaimed, especially after watching a bloodstained Camilla brush a few bangs out of her face as she turned back to face Kamui.  
"You're okay then, right darling?" she asked. Battle or not, her concern for Kamui was genuine (and perhaps a little overbearing at times, although Kamui was hesitant to admit this).

"I'm fine;" Kamui shook her head, drawing her sword, "a little frazzled, but what else is new? These Hoshidans don't know how to give me a beatdown quite like you do, except that Kinshi rider up there."  
"What?!" Camilla cocked her head towards the offender, "who dares attack my beloved Kamui!? I'll have their heads on a platter and bathe in their blood by evening!"  
"Camilla… I'm not hurt." Kamui asserted.  
"Darling, every time you say that, we find half a dozen new scars on you after the fighting," Camilla reprimanded her, "but if you insist you're okay, then it's the thought that counts!"

Reina was keeping Jakob and Gunter busy, and Saizo remained elusive, although he was reassessing the situation when fellow ninja Kagero showed up.  
"Saizo! What's our status?" The question was somewhat rhetorical considering the carnage the two ninjas were witnessing.  
"We're outnumbered, Kagero. It seems we misjudged them."  
"And what of Rinkah?" Kagero knew of Saizo's scheme.  
"She'll be ready for 'em." Saizo nodded, "although it looks like they're retreating now…"  
"Do we pursue them then?"  
"Let them flee. We still have a way to pry Kamui from their grasp…"

"I'm so glad you're safe, big sister!" Elise giggled as the Nohrians rendezvoused and began pulling back.  
"Indeed," Xander nodded, "and since she is safe and the fort's condition is evaluated, we have no further business being here."

"I'd beg to differ…" a voice from behind them interrupted. Approaching them was a small but powerful contingent of Flame Tribe warriors, each woman either carrying a heavy club or wielding flames around their arms and hands, and with Rinkah at the helm.

"Kamui, you and Gunter lead on," Xander drew his sword, "and we'll take the rear."  
"Are you sure?" Kamui trusted her siblings' power, but was also curious as to why she couldn't stay and fight."  
"Absolutely, darling." Camilla cooed, "They don't know you as well as they know us, and we'll make sure these ladies go running home with their tails between their legs."

"Right then." Kamui took off with Gunter in tow, the carnage between the Flame Tribe unit and the Nohrian Royal family growing quieter the farther they retreated. It was only when they were halfway across the final bridge that Kamui froze, realizing something was wrong.  
"Gunter… was Jakob with us when we ran?"  
"I'm sure he's right behind us," Gunter assured her, "now come; let us get off of this rickety bridge. I cannot stand being on it much longer."

"Don't worry…" a gruff voice snickered, "you won't have to."  
Out of nowhere, Hans barreled into Gunter, knocking him off the side of the bridge. The rickety handrail didn't stand a chance against the weight of Gunter, his horse, and his armor, and they tumbled into the abyss.

"HANS, YOU FUCKER!" Kamui shouted. "First you piss off Hoshido for literally no damn reason and then you kill my closest ally?! Whose side are you on, anyways!?"  
"Aww, did I knock your babysitter into the ditch?" Hans leered, "Don't worry—I'll let you meet up with him at the bottom. King Garon's orders!"  
"What!?" Kamui had suspected foul play, but was King Garon really behind it all? She contemplated it for only a moment too long, however, and Hans slammed into her, knocking the Ganglari from her hands and pushing her off into the abyss.

Kamui's shrieks echoed as she plummeted, but, as loud as they were, the tumultuous noise of the canyon drowned them out, and not a soul save Hans was able to hear her scream...


	15. Chapter 15: The Astral Plane

**AUTHOR'S NOTES:** _so I've kind of been on a little writer's block lately, and rather than decreasing the quality of my story by trying to force it, I kind of tried to ride it out until I was spirited enough to write again. This is one of the main results. A few small notes before I continue though. "Zulera" is just a minor OC from the Flame Tribe, since I needed a name besides "the scout". you won't find any Mary Sues or self-inserts in my works (or hopefully not anyways). Also, "Ferevs" was a name made because the continent stupidly doesn't have a name and I don't want to have to say "Hoshido and Nohr" every time I want to collectively refer to them. Besides, there are all those other smaller tribes and nations too. The name is just " **F** ire **E** mblem **REV** elation **S** etting" abbreviated. So there's that useless bit of info to think about as we start the 15th installment of 'The Silent Dragons'._  
 _Happy Reading!_

 **CHAPTER 15: The Astral Plane**

 _Sing with me a song of Fire and Dreams..._

So this was how it ended then… Kamui knew that Hans was a deplorable bastard son of a nug, but she also knew that if she somehow survived this fall that she would hunt him down and end him herself. Maybe she did have a chance at surviving. It wouldn't be the first time a princess fell from a high cliff and survived… but would she even have the memory of Hans-or anything else for that matter? Maybe she really was too contemplative at times. She'd have to ask Xander and Camilla to beat it out of her till she bled it all over the floor or something. Of course, she'd have to survive this fall before she did anything, and since she was reaching breakneck speeds, she was pretty sure that there were only seconds standing between her and the rock that her remains would messily splatter across upon impact.

However, the Nohrian royal family were not the only ones that had come to Kamui's aid. Lilith had accompanied Kamui from the Northern Fortress for a reason, after all…

"My kin, my gods, my blood… Dragons grant me strength…" she chanted, "Great Moro, I beseech you!"

Lillith's form shifted from the blue-haired humanoid into a small dragon that more nearly resembled a small fish. She increased her falling speed, sailing down the abyss to snatch Kamui before she hit the bottom and her life end prematurely.

Still, when Kamui was snatched from the air, she was unconscious, and it was not until she woke up that she realized where she was, to an extent-it was somewhere completely foreign, and she concluded instead that she had literally no idea where she was.

Even the architecture seemed foreign. There was a very Hoshidan feel to the place, for while Kamui did not ever recall being in Hoshido, she had seen pictures and heard descriptions of it, usually by envious Nohrians who vied for that splendor to replace the squalor of some of the pits of Nohr, or something like that.

Whatever the case, Kamui glanced around to see Lilith (or at least the little fishy-dragon thing that she assumed was still Lilith from their encounter earlier) floating around near her. Groaning and rubbing her eyes as she sat up, she muttered a few things before speaking.

"Uhhh… what just happened? And for that matter, where the hell are we? Is this Hoshido?"

"This is a world parallel to the one in which you live, Kamui." Lilith explained, "parallel to both Hoshido and Nohr, and the continent of Ferevs where your life takes place. It is known as the Astral Plane-a place where time itself flows differently."

"How were you able to get us here?" Kamui tilted her head, "and how did you transform? I take it you're not actually a human."

"Obviously not," Lilith quipped playfully, "but yes, this is my true form. You've seen me like this before when we were both a lot younger. Do you remember that baby bird you rescued?"

"I wondered why it didn't exactly look like a bird." Kamui chuckled, thinking back to how Xander was about to correct her, but Camilla had given him such a look. She didn't know what that exchange of expressions had meant back then, but it made sense now.

"Once I recovered, I was able to assume a human form," Lilith continued, "you were so kind to me that I decided to stick around, remaining a human so I could serve you. You saved my life more times than you realize, and now I'm repaying the favour. Unfortunately, the power I used to get us here has pushed me beyond the capacity of a human body, and so I am unable to return to that form any longer."

"I'm sorry for being so careless then…" Kamui sighed.  
"Don't be," Lilith smiled, "I don't mind a whole lot. What matters to me is that you're safe."  
"So how were you able to get us here again?" Kamui still looked skeptical, "and what's with the Hoshidan decor?"

"The First Dragons have granted us power to inhabit this dimension." Lilith clarified, "Under their protection, we are safe here. That reminds me-allow me to help find you a place to rest."  
Lilith's eyes flashed for a moment, before suddenly a treehouse sprung up a few meters away from where the two were situated.

"Hey now!" Kamui's face lit up, "I can dig this. Did you just use a Dragon Vein?"  
"Sure did," Lilith nodded, "The power of the First Dragons roams freely here. Even time and space operate differently, and so just because you spend an evening here does not mean you have spent an evening away from Nohr."

"Good to know," Kamui mused, "I'll have to get back to you on the schematics of that whole thing to see how it works. I should probably get going back so they don't worry about me."

"You should probably rest first…" Lilith suggested, "an evening to get that headache of yours reduced is likely only a few minutes of time back home."  
"But I…" Kamui froze. "How did you know I had a headache."  
"You're showing some pretty strong signs… and if some poor judgment has you tripping off a ledge, I'm not sure I could come to your rescue so swiftly."

"I'll keep that in mind…" Kamui stood up, realizing she was a little shaky on her feet, and went to the treehouse to investigate it. She trusted Lilith, but her curiosity made her at least want to take a look around the place.

It was definitely cozy; there was a storage area full of crates, as well as food, a few bookshelves, a dining table, and a few storage chests.

"What the hell is up with this box…" Kamui mused, glancing at a treasure chest with a weird mask-looking design on top. She opened it to find it empty, and so decided to think little of it at the moment. Lilith was right; her head ached more than she had realized. Maybe she had stood up too fast, or maybe it was something else as well. Regardless, she fell comfortably onto the bed and curled up, falling asleep within minutes.

=Bottomless Canyon near the Nohrian border…=

"We can't just leave Kamui behind!" Elise argued, "Gunter and Jakob aren't even here!"  
"Sweetie, we've looked everywhere…" Camilla sighed, "and we're not even supposed to be out here. You know how Father is about solo missions."  
"But this is our sister!" Elise asserted. "We can't just leave her alone in this gods-forsaken wilderness!"

"As much as I like to point out Elise's childishness when she displays it," Leo interjected, "She has something of a point. It's not like Kamui to just run off like this."  
"But even then, if the Hoshidans didn't take her, do you suppose she…" Camilla trailed off, cocking her head back towards the canyon and the abyss therein.  
"No!" Elise insisted. "No! No! No! Kamui is fine! She probably just ran too far ahead!"

Almost as if she was predicting the future, they heard a voice from the west calling out for her big brother or big sister.  
"Perhaps your words have merit after all, little sister," Xander smiled, before turning towards the source of the noise. "Little Princess!" he called out.  
"I'm in the woods!" the voice responded, "We're alright; we just got a little ahead of ourselves… My retainers and I are safe."  
"We are not far behind," Xander called out, "if you stay where you are we can meet up with you."

"I'd rather just keep going and meet you back at Windmire! I've seen enough of this terrible place to last two lifetimes!"  
If it was a trick, it was a deviously well pulled off trick, for the Nohrian siblings pursued the voice westward. Xander picked up speed, although eventually, 'Kamui' stopped responding.  
"By the gods, she's fast," Leo groaned, but they continued their path westward towards Windmire, not knowing that not only were Kamui and her retainers not actually in front of them, but that one of the had vanished in the canyon, another was in the Astral Realms, and the other was missing in action…

 _=Daishan Fortress, Hoshido…=  
_ A smirk crept across Rinkah's face as she watched one of her scouts returned, looking rather winded, but content.  
"Chief," she began, "we've successfully routed the Nohrians back to their own land. Lady Kamui is unaccounted for, but we know she has not left the area."  
"Perfect," Rinkah grinned, "excellent job, Zulera. now we wait. If she's truly down in the canyon, the only way out is for her to come right back here."

"And how do you know that?" Saizo frowned.  
"The Flame Tribe is not entirely barbaric, you know. We're familiar with this shithole, and there are stories and legends alike about this place. Either way, I believe a certain someone wagered 35 gold that my girls and I couldn't trick the Prince and Princess of Nohr."

"I was proven wrong." Saizo groaned, "a surprise and a rarity, but I am a man of my word. Here."  
A handful of gold coins tumbled into Rinkah's hands from Saizo's, and the two shook hands.  
"Only one portion of the plan remains," he pointed out, "your girls impressed me once; think they can do it again?"

"Oh no; this one's on me." Rinkah clarified, "I'll take Princess Kamui down and we'll deal with her from here. It'd actually probably be better for you to return to Shirasagi to report this to your queen or high prince or whoever you answer to."

"Right," Saizo seemed to briefly mentally calculate the risks and advantages of this situation before deciding that Rinkah's Flame Tribe warriors appeared capable and much cleverer and more intelligent than he had first assumed. As such, he and his men vacated the premises, leaving the Flame Tribe women alone.

"I'm going to go out on a limb here, princess," the scout from earlier spoke up, "and guess that you didn't just want Saizo to go home to report."  
"I've done my socializing for the day." Rinkah pointed out, "after a bit, I need a bit of time to myself to refuel my flames. You've already done a hell of a good job, Zulera. You should rest."  
"A commendable assertion, Princess." Zulera smiled, "thank you."

 _="Fort Kamui", the Astral Plane…=_

Kamui rested and felt revitalized a while later. As she exited the treehouse, Lilith was there to perform her checkup.

"How are you feeling, Kamui?" she asked.  
"Much better," Kamui sighed with relief, "my wounds are healed and my mind is clear and racing! I've got so many questions about this place, but I should probably be getting back. I can't rest properly until I know that everyone made it safely home… alas, poor Gunter."

"Indeed," Lilith sighed, "his sacrifice will not be forgotten. However, if you are ready to depart, then we should get moving. I cannot say that time froze in your absence, but while it might be slower there than here, things will not quite be the same as the way you left them… but you will return to the same place you left from."

"Got it," Kamui nodded, "I'm ready. Open the gate, Lilith."  
"Tread carefully," Lilith warned as she opened the gate, "Hoshidan soldiers may still be lying in wait for you upon your return…"

Whatever the case, Kamui found herself back at the same point where she had been assaulted by Hans, except everything was deserted. SHe wondered what had become of the Ganglari sword that she had dropped here. Had Hans taken it and run, or had the Hoshidans claimed it? She looked around before calling out for her siblings, although by this point they were long gone. Rinkah, however, was watching her.

"Like candy from a babe…" she smirked, silently moving towards the confused Nohrian princess as she wandered west. Once she was only a few meters from her prey, Rinkah pounced.

"Y'er mine, Nohrian!" Up went Rinkah, and then right back down she came, striking Kamui in the head. Kamui staggered, spinning around, her eyes flashing dizzily as she tried to regain her orientation. She wasn't sure how many times she was struck, but since she was unarmed, her resistance was minimal before she finally got knocked out.


	16. Chapter 16: Village of the Red Flame

**AUTHOR'S NOTES:** _And here we touch briefly on the 4th chapter of the game. I know that Corrin and the Hoshidan scene have been absent a long time, but that's mainly because we're about to enter a long story arc with them in Hoshido. I aim to develop Mikoto more while I'm there and we'll go from there. Just know that Nohr is not necessarily idle during all this extra time. In the meantime, here's another chapter to give a little bit more life to the Flame Tribe than what Rinkah was able to in the game. She is not as open with everyone as she is with Kamui-it's a special case and we'll see more of it in the chapter._  
 _Happy Reading!_

 **CHAPTER 16: Village of the Red Flame**

 _Sing with me a song of Rebels and Flames..._

Stars and voids were still swimming through Kamui's vision when she returned to consciousness, not entirely sure where she was. She groaned, feeling around as she got to her hands and knees and made a few realizations: First, the Ganglari was gone, and she was thus disarmed; second, while she couldn't feel a welt on her head, touching it was sensitive, and her right ear was bleeding; and third, she had no idea where the hell she was. She sniffed around, smelling flames and the smell of broth—someone was cooking a stew or soup of sorts.

"Oh hey… you're awake." a low voice muttered from her left. Kamui groaned, rolling over to see who spoke. She could barely make out shades of red, white, and brown, before blinking to try and clear her vision.

"Huh… R-Rinkah?" Kamui swore she remembered that voice from Castle Krakenburg where she had nearly had to put this young woman to death.  
"That's me." she shrugged, "normally I'd be a bit more hostile right around now, but I've got a special kind of respect for someone as durable as you."  
"Durable?" Kamui groaned, "Does that have something to do with why my entire head hurts?"  
"It does, actually," Rinkah tended to her stew, "I tried knocking you out with one clean swing, but you didn't go down until the 4th strike."

"You whacked me on the head FOUR times?!" Kamui hissed.  
"Hitting you once just made you mad, and so I hit you a 2nd time." Rinkah explained, "That just made you angrier, and so I hit you a 3rd time. Thankfully you staggered at that point, because you were pretty pissed off, and so I whacked you a 4th time and you dropped like a sack of rocks. I think I smacked you on the back just to make sure you were down and out."

"Well why in the name of the nine fucking hells did you want to beat me to a pulp?!" Kamui growled, "No wonder it hurts to move!"  
"Well, your eyes started glowing, so I figured my life and the lives of the surrounding Hoshidans were in danger. It was merely a preventative measure, but still… sorry anyways."  
"Hoshidans… so that's where I am?"

"Technically you're in a Flame Tribe camp in Hoshidan territory, but for all intents and purposes, aye; you're in Hoshido. I had to make sure you weren't about to run away again and I was out of rope, so I had to hit you a couple times."

"Where are you taking me?"  
"The authorities of Hoshido; they'll do the rest."  
"I guess I should start writing my last will and testaments then."  
"Why? You gonna commit seppaku?"

"Not unless I can borrow your club; I'm more just assuming that the Hoshidans are gonna have that arranged for me after what I did… an unprovoked attack, a guilty party, and a jaded Nohr Princess with pointy ears who is suddenly out of place."  
"Heh…" Rinkah chortled, "I highly doubt they'll do that, but believe what you want."

Kamui sat up, rubbing her head. "Are you this abrasive to everyone?"  
"I don't beat most kids over the head, if that's what you're asking."  
"You're still an ass."  
"I never said I wasn't. Count your lucky crows though, 'cuz the fact that I'm wasting more than few seconds of my time to speak to you puts you above about 93% of the people that try to waste my time with meaningless conversation."

"Maybe I shouldn't have spared your life…" Kamui mumbled."  
"Actually, that's part of the reason I like you more than the average rabble." Rinkah noted, "you fought me in an unfair situation, and so I merely did the same."  
"You and I should duke it out after I've recovered, then." Kamui suggested, "I'd like to see how I fare against the Scion of the Flame Tribe when she's not cheap-shotting me from behind."

"Hey, I was just following orders. If I wanted to kill you, perhaps I would have."  
"Good to know that you weren't too swift to kill the woman that saved your life, Oni."  
"Don't tempt me, Princess." These words rang through Kamui's pointed ears like a taunt; a call to action. It nearly revitalized Kamui as she sat up straight and locked eyes with Rinkah. Both pairs of red eyes glared daggers at one another in a fierce staring contest that was only broken by Kamui blinking.

"Ha! Gotcha!" Rinkah elbowed her. "But honestly...you're not half bad, kid. You've got a decent sense of skepticism to you, and don't just wantonly trust people. I like that."  
"You're glad I don't trust you?"  
"I'm glad you don't trust me without a reason. You might not even have much of a reason to trust me now. If you wanna leave, feel free to get the hell out of here. There's no telling what someone else might do to ya, or whose hands you'll fall into, but stick around here and the Flame Tribe will put in at least a half-decent word for you."

"I'm curious about you, Oni," Kamui's sharp eyes narrowed, "I'm not one for smalltalk, but yours is a character that intrigues me."  
"And why's that?" Rinkah stirred her small cauldron again, not looking up, "not used to facing someone that doesn't bend her knee and lick your boots?"

"I don't think I've ever even worn boots, or even shoes," Kamui mused aloud, "but no, that's not at all. I think I'm more surprised to find someone that appreciates solitude without getting all in my face over it. Tell me something…"  
"No." Rinkah almost sounded like she had been waiting to fire that response.  
"Does the Flame Tribe value solitude and introversion?"

This question caught Rinkah off guard for a moment. It was rare that an outsider asked her anything about her own culture without being dismissive and claiming she was too "uncivilized" and "barbaric".  
"Good eye, kid." A smile crept up on the side of her face away from Kamui.  
"I take it that's why there hasn't been many people from this village bothering me then."  
"Also correct." Rinkah muttered, dishing herself some of her soup. "We're not antisocial. We just need a good reason to talk. Ideally, we'd rather just let our clubs and flames to the talking for us."  
"What would it take for me to borrow a club or two for some practice?" Kamui asked.  
"My approval," Rinkah actually put her meal on hold a moment. "Let's get you geared up."

After a few minutes, Kamui found herself decked out in red pants and guards around her wrists and ankles, her hands, forearms, and shins also wrapped. She remained barefoot from her own developed distaste for shoes, and other than the guards and wrappings around her arms, the only thing covering her upper body was a binding across her chest and war paint over parts of her face. Other than her lighter skin color and dark purple hair, her appearance nearly made her fit in with the rest of the white-haired warriors.

"You'll definitely need one of these," Rinkah smirked, roughly helping Kamui don a similar-looking red-haired demon mask similar to the one she had herself. "we've got a few practice clubs a couple tents this way. Don't get mad if I beat the shit out of you though."  
"Alright, Monferno… you're on." Kamui quipped.

The two of them gathered a few practice clubs to beat each other with. The weapons would sting and leave a bruise or two, but it was nothing that the oni and the dragon couldn't handle already.  
Kamui and Rinkah clashed rather vigorously. Rinkah was briefly surprised because Kamui turned out to be much stronger than she thought, but she quickly corrected her actions and evened the field only moments after this discovery.

Kamui proved to have a rather powerful swinging arm that kept her on par with Rinkah, and while she was used to swinging swords more than axes or clubs, she adjusted to using the weapon much easier as time went by.

Unfortunately for her, Rinkah had a home-field advantage, and eventually managed to knock Kamui off her feet, defeating her.  
"I'm impressed," Rinkah admitted, helping a battered Kamui to her feet, "I guess those scars on your back and arms aren't just Nohrian decorations."  
"Haha, no," Kamui nodded in agreement, dusting herself off, "It's tough love."

"Well, that almost sounds like the Flame Tribe then. Maybe I'll have to bash a few heads in on my next trip to Nohr to see what it's like over there." Rinkah shrugged, "who knows?"  
"So why do you want to take me to Hoshido?" Kamui had to ask.  
"I'm not at liberty to say," Rinkah admitted, "suffice to say there's someone who wants you alive over there, and so my buddy Saizo came up with an idea to bring you back while separating you from your siblings."

"Did you kill them!?" Kamui seemed shaken by this remark. The idea that Leo, Elise, or Xander might have been dead at Hoshido's hands was a blow to her pride, but more importantly, a blow to her mental and emotional well-being. More than that though, if someone actually managed to best and slay Camilla in battle, Kamui would challenge them to the death. Kamui loved all of her siblings, but the idea of not having Camilla in her life any longer wrenched at her heartstrings and made her want to swear vengeance upon anyone who dared wrong her family.

"Can't say we'd have minded, but they were long gone after we got you," Rinkah shrugged a shoulder, "One of my girls led them back towards Windmire before doubling back. That's the last I heard of 'em, so they're probably around."  
Kamui was a little less comfortable at this point, but held her resolve. Surely they would be tough enough to survive a battle that even she had done decently at.

"In the meantime, make yourself comfortable—within reason of course," Rinkah muttered, "we move out tomorrow, so if there's anything you need, speak now or forever hold your peace. Odds are none of the others will have much to say. And don't worry about that gear; keep it. It looks good enough on you."  
"Right," Kamui nodded, "And thanks."

Kamui didn't do much socializing after that, and surprisingly, neither did Rinkah. The Flame Tribe (or what little Kamui saw of it) didn't seem to be much of the people for words. A few observations around the camp revealed that this encampment was likely temporary. Perhaps these were the women Rinkah had brought with her to help in fighting off the Nohrians and capturing her. This was definitely not all of them, for Kamui didn't see a single male tribesperson her entire night with the tribe. She still felt uncomfortable, both as an outsider and for not having full clarity on what became of her family in Nohr, and so she decided to retire early, knowing that she would have a rough night ahead of her.

She curled up in the tent she had been loaned, and closed her eyes. Her head was still spinning, although maybe that was from Rinkah's club. She wasn't sure when she fell asleep, but when she did, her mind was flowing with thoughts and concerns about what tomorrow would entail. All she knew at this point was that she was bound for Hoshido, whether she liked it or not.


	17. Chapter 17: A Long-Awaited Return

**AUTHOR'S NOTES:** _Thus begins Kamui's episode in Hoshido, which is long enough to be considered Act II. I've got a lot I hope to cover before Mikoto's death in the game's chapter 5, and so for all those chapters of Nohrian exposition recently, now we get a chance to expose some more of Hoshido before we reach the fateful branching point where Act III will kick off. Also, a little mathematics here will reveal that Corrin and Kamui are indeed 20 years old. I plan to reveal (subtly or otherwise) almost every major character's age at some point or another though, so feel free to watch for that if desired. In the meantime, feedback of any kind is welcomed and encouraged. Let me know how I'm doing, so I know if I'm actually improving on the game's sloppy writing or not._  
 _Either way, Happy Reading!_

 **ACT II: THE TWINS UNITED**

 **CHAPTER 17: A Long-Awaited Return**

 _Sing with me a song of Family and Dawn..._

Kamui's sleep was rough and patchy, but ultimately she managed to fall asleep and stay asleep long after the noise of the camp had died down. She was not sure how long she stayed asleep or what time it was when she was woken up, but she knew that they had a journey ahead of them, and she wasn't sure how it would go.

Fortunately, there was nothing unusual to report about the trip either. Rinkah only had a few of her women as guards as they went, while the rest of them took a northerly direction, likely towards one of the actual Flame Tribe villages. Kamui figured she might be able to escape, but at the same time, didn't feel like she should. She was lost in enemy territory, and knew that while she could probably just haul it west, that she wouldn't get very far with no food, no water, and no weapons. She was back in her old Nohrian attire again, concealing her scarred body apart from her head and feet. She also didn't really put Hoshidans as the type to torture people, but perhaps she was wrong.

They passed through a snowy mountain pass, and were suddenly faced with a familiar sight. In the distance, the magnificent Castle Shirasagi appeared in view, as did another familiar face to Kamui: the green-haired ninja, Kaze, was waiting for them.

"Kaze," Kamui was the one to speak, "we meet again. I suppose you're here for justice against my actions towards you in Nohr?"

"Not at all;" Kaze began, "In fact… I'm glad to properly meet you, Princess Kamui."

To her surprise, Kaze bowed. Was it because she was a Nohrian princess? Neither he nor Rinkah had bowed even after she had helped them escape from Garon's clutches, and so why was he bowing now?

"Wait… you are?" Kamui tilted her head. "Is there something I missed?"

"It will all be explained, princess." Kaze nodded, "please, come with me."

She figured that she was going to end up being taken to Shirasagi anyways, and so the only thing that really changed was that Kaze had joined the group. Kamui always knew that Hoshido was bright and colorful in contrast to the dark greys of Nohr, but only once she was truly in the dazzlingly colorful city did she become a full believer after seeing it for herself. Sometime between their arrival in the city and the time they reached the castle, Rinkah's bodyguards vanished, leaving just her and Kaze to escort her into the castle. Kamui knew that she was getting all kinds of looks from all kinds of people. That had been what had happened in the surrounding city, and now by the servants of Hoshido's castle. They led her all the way up to the throne room, where she saw half a dozen people who seemed to be anticipating her arrival. Of them, one in particular stood out to her, and both of them gasped upon making eye contact. One of the boys had the same wild, dark purple hair that she did, and looked her age, no less. Was this another example of Hoshidan trickery, or was this something else entirely?

A spiky-haired man dressed in mostly red armor approached Kaze and Rinkah with a smile.

"Welcome back, Kaze." He began, "it was wise of me to trust your brother's plan. And welcome back as well, Princess Rinkah. Good work."

"Thank you, Lord Ryoma," Kaze bowed respectfully, after which there was silence as they both turned back to face Kamui.

"Well… I dunno what you're waiting for," she shrugged one shoulder, "if you're gonna execute me or torture me or whatever else, you might as well get it done and over with."

"That is hardly our intent, Nohrian…" Ryoma began, before motioning behind her, where a well-kept middle-aged woman approached her, her face lighting up with bittersweet awe. Kamui did not recognize her, but it was clear from her attire and the way she carried herself that she was someone important. This was the Queen of Hoshido.

"Kamui…" she whispered, her hands extending. The closer they got to Kamui, they more they began to tremble.

"Are… are you okay?" Kamui looked a bit weirded out. Her voice, however, seemed enough to convince this white-clad woman that she knew Kamui.

"It is you…" she whispered, before gasping, "I cannot believe it is actually you. 15 years I've waited for this day…"

"I'm sorry…" Kamui tilted her head. "Do… do we know each other?"

"I've missed you so much, Kamui, darling!" The queen put her arms around Kamui, embracing her in a very motherly hug. "My sweet, sweet child…"

"Child?" Kamui glanced from the queen towards the purple-haired boy silently staring at her, and then back again. "what are you talking about?"

"So you don't remember then…" the queen sighed, "it is as I feared. Garon must have used some rather strong magic on you if he sealed away your memories and it has lasted over 15 years… It is a tragedy indeed."

"I'm sorry, but I really don't follow." Kamui cocked her head, "What do you mean?"

"I am your mother, Kamui." the queen explained, looking her daughter right in the eye. "My name is Mikoto. You have an older twin brother named Corrin, and that is the man you keep turning your head to see."

Almost as if she had expected this to happen, Mikoto watched as Kamui cocked her head back towards Corrin and then back to her.

"How exactly does that check out?" Kamui glanced towards Corrin, who approached his sister with apprehension.

"Because when you were young… five, if I recall… you were taken from us." He spoke to her, "Mother's been lamenting your disappearance ever since."

"None of us ever thought we would be able to see you again." Mikoto explained, "Even this was all by a stroke of luck."

"Luck for whom?" Kamui tilted her head, "my siblings in Nohr, who have probably returned home only to realize that I wasn't actually ahead of them? My retainers, who I don't even get to know the fates of? Me? Trapped in a foreign land surrounded by people I know next to nothing about who now suddenly claim to be my family after a decade and a half of no contact whatsoever? I don't mean to sound so vehement, but I'm…" she sighed.

"I'm uncomfortable. I feel so very out of place here."

"Of course…" Mikoto sighed. "I did not expect you would acclimate at the drop of a feather… but I am your mother, and not a day has gone by that I have not mourned your absence. You've grown into such a strong, mature woman. It makes a mother proud."

It was clear that Mikoto's passion was genuine here, and it didn't make sense that the Queen of Hoshido would just randomly tell someone they were related unless she was certain of it. Moreover, Corrin's presence made her realize that there was no way she couldn't be somehow related to him. The hair, the eyes, the face, and basically their physical forms. Even their outfits were somewhat similar, although Kamui considered that one more of a coincidence.

Suddenly, her eyes widened, as if having an epiphany.

"How many other siblings do I have here?" she turned to Mikoto.

"There are four in total, barring Corrin," she explained, "Ryoma is the eldest, followed by Hinoka, Takumi, and Sakura. All of them have also longed for your return."

It struck Kamui like the brunt of Camilla's axe during a bad day of training. These were the siblings she had seen in the dream not long ago. Was it a premonition then? Was she destined to come and remain as a member of the Hoshidan courts instead?

No. She could not abandon the brothers and sisters that had always treated her like family, even if they never revealed the truth to her. But then… had she known these people? Was Mikoto telling the truth? Hoshido might not have been as full of adversity as Nohr, but Kamui had learned—especially what with all of the recent events lately—that Hoshido and its people had plenty of treachery and tricks of their own. She wished she could have asked Gunter how he had known Reina, the "She-Devil of Hoshido". She wished now more than ever that she could remember her childhood. She wanted to believe this woman's words, but perhaps this really was just more Hoshidan treachery. She could not deny that she was clearly related to Corrin, but even then, it left a lingering thought in her mind.

"So these are my siblings then?" She asked Corrin, seeing how he would respond.

"And I am your twin brother," he worded his response as if completing a sentence, "To say that I've missed you would be a vicious understatement. Our attempts to retrieve you weren't supposed to be so roundabout… but after so many years of not having you with is, we did the things we did out of desperation."

"But does that justify kidnapping me from the family that treated me like their own flesh and blood for as long as they've known me?" Kamui's defensive speech betrayed that she was not quite comfortable in her new situation yet, "look; I obviously can't just wander on back to Nohr without getting lost a dozen times along the way." she reasoned, "but surely you can understand why I'm a little uncomfortable here, can't you?

"I can indeed," Mikoto sighed, "perhaps it was just a mother's selfish wish to see her child one more time. I apologize, Kamui."

"This isn't a political move, is it?" Kamui had to ask.

"It may promote peace talks, but aside from that, it was actually personal, dear." Mikoto clarified, "I merely wish for you to see both sides of the situation so you can make a clear decision."

Kamui sighed, knowing that she had been beat at her own game. "I think I just need to clear my mind…" she began, "maybe let a few of these emotions out or something."

"By all means, sweetheart," Mikoto replied, "spend as long as you need."

Suddenly, a pair of samurai burst into the room, looking rather winded and alarmed.

"Apologies for disrupting, Milady; Milord," they addressed Mikoto and then Ryoma, "but we have an urgent message: we're under attack in the north!"

"No!" Ryoma growled, "Sakura and Hinoka are out there!"

"Then we go and defend them!" Corrin raised his sword, what are we up against out there?"

"More Faceless again," the samurai replied, "that's the only thing Nohr can send against us while Queen Mikoto's barrier persists."

Kamui glanced at Mikoto, but Mikoto did not respond. The look on her face, however, almost gave Kamui the impression that she was letting the girl take things in at her own rate.

"Even I understand that it'd be unreasonable to ask you to turn against your own countrymen," Corrin pointed out, "but against faceless monsters with no minds of their own who seek for nothing but destruction, I would ask you to ponder the decision a little more."

"No," Kamui shook her head, "I'll join you. It's been awhile since I've had a good fight anyways."

Both Corrin and Ryoma were caught somewhat by surprise at this, but they seemed to have no qualms against it. Kamui didn't mind it either; here, she figured she would be able to show these Hoshidans how a real warrior fought.


	18. Chapter 18: A Nohrian Among Hoshidans

**AUTHOR'S NOTES:** _I apologize for the sporadic delays this story faced. Like my others, it is not about to be abandoned by any means, especially not this close to the really juicy parts, since of course, after this slightly lengthened Hoshido arc, we reach the path-splitting chapter which will thus kick off Act III. Without spoiling too much, I'm also not about to have all of the royal siblings go into angry-jerk mode because of a girl not wanting to fight either family that loves her. I've got a special set of tricks in mind for that, although it's a ways off. In the meantime, here's how Corrin and Clan Hoshido deal with their lost Nohrian sibling._  
 _Happy Reading!_

 **CHAPTER 18: A Nohrian Among Hoshidans**

 _Sing with me a song of Monsters and Cold…_

Corrin and Ryoma began making preparations to move out to come to their sisters' aid, and Kamui tagged along behind them, her mind processing a variety of things as it so often did. On the forefront of her mind, however, was a rather important question.

"So are you going to trust me with a weapon?" She cast her eyes towards Ryoma, "because while I'm pretty sure I could twist a few necks barehanded, I don't think that'd work against an 800-pound monster quite as well."

"I suppose that it's a high level of trust for us to put in you, Kamui," Ryoma gave a short but amused chuckle, "but I don't take you as the type to bite the hand that feeds you."

Kamui nodded, but otherwise remained silent. Those were bold words in her eyes, especially considering that she still thought of herself as a captive. Still, deep down she knew Ryoma was spot-on; she was not going to be the aggressor in a situation like this unless they were sparring."

"How capable of a fighter are you?" Corrin had to ask as they made a brief stop at the armory to gear Kamui up.

"Confident enough in my own skill and savagery," Kamui smirked, "if anyone wants to spar afterwards, I'm totally game. I've gotta see how my twin brother holds his own against me-or perhaps I can challenge the great Prince Ryoma."

"Have a violent itch, do we sister?" Corrin raised an eyebrow.

"Why would I want to kill a man who I could learn so much from?" Kamui pointed out, because deep down she knew that friend or foe, there were surely plenty of tricks that she could learn from the Hoshidan Royal Family. "I mean sure, we might draw a bit of blood, but that goes both ways. Contrary to popular belief, I'm not invincible."

Kamui's face lit up like a kid in a candy shop when they reached the armory. Weapons of all kinds lay scattered around the room, organized neatly by size, type, and make.

"Just don't take too long deciding," Ryoma pointed out somewhat playfully, before Corrin turned to him out of Kamui's earshot.

"Do you think the others will trust her?" he asked, "Or that she will even wish to remain with us once word gets out to Nohr of her location?"

"If the Nohrians come back for her, we will offer her peacefully, but the choice is hers to make." Ryoma asserted, "we may not like the decision, but if we retaliate towards Nohr the way they do to us, then we lower ourselves to their level. If your sister wants to spar, perhaps even I could learn a thing or two from her. In the meantime, she needs our patience if we hope for her to remain with us."

Kamui returned moments later with a katana in her hand, running her fingers appreciatively along the sharp blade.

"It's not quite what I'm used to," she commented, "but I think I've figured out the balance difference between this thing and a Nohrian sword. I'm ready when you two are."

"Just try not to be too reckless," Corrin warned, "this is not a sparring match we're fighting against here."

"Don't worry," Kamui assured him, "I think I know what I'm doing."

"Then let us be off." Ryoma declared, "It is not far, Kamui, but I want you to see the truth with your own eyes…"

Back towards the icy north went the three of them, joined by a small contingent of soldiers, as well as Rinkah, Kaze, and Corrin's retainers Roku and Zenzi. While it was not a full-fledged battle, the mighty Faceless were powerful juggernauts that could decimate normal soldiers if they were not careful.

Sakura and Hinoka were about to learn this firsthand.

"I-it's like they came out of nowhere!" Sakura cried as she and her sister fled. "And then I have to go and sprain an ankle! I'm sorry for slowing us down, sister."

"Don't worry about it, sis," Hinoka clutched her naginata tighter, "we'll be okay. These stupid beasts don't stand a chance against me."

"I… I hope you're right..." Sakura stuttered.

They were hidden behind a cluster of snowy rocks, but Hinoka was on the defensive. She knew she was outnumbered and outgunned, but didn't want Sakura to worry any more than she already was.

"Hold strong, sisters! I'm coming for you!" Sakura and Hinoka's ears perked up as they heard their brother Ryoma's voice. Perhaps more surprisingly than Ryoma was an unfamiliar voice that raced right into the fray.

"FOR THE GLORY OF NOHR!" Old habits died hard. Hopefully she wouldn't get her head bitten off for that one. The remark obviously caused a great deal of alarm to both princesses as well as a number of Ryoma's troops, but it was clear that Kamui was not only a skilled and vicious fighter, but that she was on their side considering who she fought against, and who she protected. She had a keen analysis of the battlefield, locating the monsters and noting the position of the Hoshidan troops. She darted around to help ensure the safety of as many soldiers as she could, zigzagging through the snow, rocks, trees, and Faceless in an attempt to reach the princesses. She was so fixated on the end goal that she completely overlooked the dragon veins in the area, as well as a small village nearby that hadn't been evacuated.

Fortunately for Hoshido, there were others watching out for that. Corrin activated the Dragon Veins to help minimize the Faceless' defenses, since they were using the rough snow to form a sort of makeshift fortress in some cases.

"I'd be fine with never fighting these things again…" Zenzi sighed as they stayed ahead of the Faceless by using their blinding speed to their advantage.

"At least these enemies are visible." Roku riposted. The two of them stayed between Corrin and Kamui with a close eye on the latter in case she tried anything dangerous.

However, despite their suspicions, it seemed that Kamui was indeed supporting the Hoshidan army to push the Faceless back. Rinkah was the one to reach the village, and she basically ran through the streets warning people of the nearby attack.

"Either lock up tight or get the hell outta here! We've got the situation mostly under control, but let's not take any risks here!"

As she raced out to rejoin the fray, an older man, most likely the village elder, stopped her.

"Thank you for coming out of your way to warn us, bold warrior." He looked her right in the eye. "None of us were even aware of the commotion and would have never known. We're grateful for your selfless action, and wish for you to take this as a token."

Rinkah looked at the object in her hands at first with skepticism, and then with slight amusement: a Goddess Icon.

"Thanks?" She shrugged a shoulder, "now stay safe out there. I'd hate to bash these monsters' heads in only to find this place in ruins."

Smaller villages and tribes were more relatable to her than large cities and kingdoms. Similarly, smaller groups of people were easier for her to handle than legions or crowds. Once she was back out in the open though, she brandished her club and carved her way through the snow to reach her friends and adversaries, protecting the former and lashing out fiercely at the latter.

Kamui was the first one to reach Sakura and Hinoka, and so despite her chant about Nohr earlier, it seemed that she was not about to become a turncoat.

"You two alright?" she grunted, "You've got a slew of Hoshidans coming to help in just a moment" She glanced back even, and was pretty sure she saw Zenzi and Ryoma leading a rapid approach from the south. However, even then more Faceless were coming from the east, and Hinoka was too busy watching over Sakura to get terribly involved in the fighting.

"We're fine;" Hinoka's reply was heavy, as if she was a little fatigued. Had the two of them been running? Kamui might ask later. "Who are you though? I recognize most of my brother's troops, and even you look oddly familiar… and thanks for the help; but it'll take more than a few dozen 800-pound monsters to stop me." She didn't want to get too excited. If it was Kamui, which she had a gut feeling it was, she was not quite sure how to react; if it was just a chance lookalike though, she couldn't be so sure.

"Well someone's confident," Kamui chuckled, "we've got your back. I've got to show a certain brother of mine who's the superior fighter, after all…"

"Hey, that reminds me!" Hinoka called out right as Kamui pivoted on her heel to race back into the fray, "you never told me your name."

"Kamui," Kamui grunted as she raced back out into the snowy battle, the white ground flecked with shades of dark red. "Nice meeting you two; stay safe!"

"Kamui!?" Hinoka actually froze for a moment, and not because of the temperature. "It can't be… no, this is too accurate to be a coincidence…"

But Kamui was already back in the fray, helping fend off the Faceless. She picked off a few more of the stragglers as the surviving Hoshidans began congregating again to move in towards Sakura and Hinoka. Roku and Zenzi both turned towards Corrin as they watched Kamui take down the final two Faceless with two powerful swings from her katana.

"She is talented," Roku commented, "I'd almost say she has skill to outperform yours."

"I suppose that Nohrian aggression was put to good use," Corrin commented, "Hopefully she'll remain on our side." It wasn't that Corrin didn't trust his sister; but he knew that it was easy to go against monsters, regardless of their country of origin. He wasn't quite sure that Kamui would stick with Hoshido if the Nohrian army came and invaded, however.

The three of them were a little surprised when they saw Rinkah go out of her way to approach Kamui as the latter had been making her way back to Ryoma to report the damages and outcome of the battle."

"I'm impressed," she admitted, "Seems you Nohrians know how to fight."

"You'd know," Kamui elbowed her, "but yeah, in Nohr you basically learn to fight as a child or you die by the roadside. It's the hard knock life."

"How'd you do?" Rinkah tilted her head. Kamui only had a couple inches over her.

"21," Kaumi shrugged, "I was kind of expecting a legion, but I made do pretty well with what there was. How about you?"

"25," Rinkah smirked, "Looks like you owe me 10 silvers, Nohrian."

"Don't get too used to it, princess;" Kamui dug a few coins out of her pocket and tossed them Rinkah's way, "I was under pressure."

"Right; right, that's what they all say." Rinkah pocketed the money as the rest of the Hoshidan soldiers reunited around Ryoma as they approached Hinoka and Sakura. Corrin, Roku, and Zenzi followed suit, and shortly afterwards, Kamui found herself surrounded by Hoshidans. She remained stoic but wary, unsure what exactly was about to go down, but she knew that the notion of having a little time to herself after the exhilarating battle like she had originally planned, was simply not going to happen here. The royal siblings were approaching her, and they had something on their minds.


	19. Chapter 19: Siblings Reunited

**AUTHOR'S NOTES:** _Our sojourn in Hoshido continues, as Kamui gets a glimpse of most of her siblings on the other side of the Bottomless Canyon. Even after all this time, it should be noted that Roku and Zenzi have not forgotten their friend Arozza lost in Nohr, but that's another story arc that will be resolved in the future. In the meantime, it's time for a lot of people to adjust to Kamui's presence in Hoshido._  
 _Happy Reading!_

 **CHAPTER 19: Siblings Reuinted**

 _Sing with me a song of Patience and Love…_

Sakura was at the forefront of the three approaching siblings, and she was the first to approach Kamui in turn. "Th-thank you so much for rescuing us!" she explained, "Those monsters would have terrorized the area and caused much more damage were it not for you and the others."

"I was just helping out," Kamui shrugged, "And sorry for that whole "glory of Nohr" bit earlier. Old habits kind of die hard, and it just slipped, and then…"

"I thought little of it," Sakura admitted, "but it does make me need to ask-who are you again?"

"Oh, I thought I mentioned it," Kamui shrugged, "I'm-"

"Her name is Kamui." Hinoka cut her off, stepping forward, pausing to take in Kamui's form as if trying to memorize every detail of this woman.

"Err, yeah. That." Kamui fidgeted slightly, tugging her collar, "umm… did I do something bad?"

"Hinoka?" Even Sakura looked concerned for her sister, "is everything okay?"

"Finally…" Hinoka was trembling slightly, her hands suddenly reaching out and seizing Kamui's shoulders. "After all these years…"

Kamui's head slanted at a slighter version of the angle she usually did when she was confused or curious. She was not very good at eye contact, but it was clear that this slightly taller woman had her eyes fixated on Kamui's, and that this was a very emotional moment for her.

"Mm?" Kamui muttered as if to verify that she was still paying attention.

"I've missed you… so much." She yanked Kamui into a firm embrace, and for a moment, actually sobbed into Kamui's shoulder and hair. Kamui didn't want to come off as indifferent or rude, but she was still not quite sure what was going on here. She assumed that these were more of her siblings that Mikoto spoke of, but like a child being adopted into an already close-knit family at a late age, she felt like a fish out of water.

"Sorry…" she stuttered, pulling away and wiping her face with her left arm, "I… got a little ahead of myself there…"

"Hinoka was very attached to you when you were little, Kamui." Ryoma stepped up to help clarify the situation, "You always had a fighting spirit, and so did she, and I think the two of you bonded pretty strongly over that among other things. When you were taken from us, she cried for months. One day, she simply stopped crying and picked up her naginata again."

"Oh?" Kamui raised an eyebrow.

"All I'll say," Ryoma gave Kamui an amused smile, "is that if you ever find yourself facing the business end of her weapon, you'll soon be filled with major regrets about your life decisions."

"Ha!" Kamui actually returned a similar amused smirk, "I like that."

"Hinoka vowed to bring you back to us someday," Ryoma concluded, "and now here you are."

"I owe a lot of it to Saizo, Kaze, and Rinkah," Hinoka admitted, "but I'm kind of beside myself here. Sorry if I came off as too forward. I'm just so happy to have you back. Take that, Nohrian scumbags! We win! You lose!"

Kamui opened her mouth as if to speak, but no words came out. She didn't want everyone to put knives to her throat by admitting that if her Nohrian family came right now she would elect to return with them simply out of what she knew and what she was comfortable with. It was certainly not to say that she'd never be able to support Hoshido, but if pitted against Nohr, the land with the family that had raised her for the last memorable 15 years of her life, she would unlikely be able to be swayed to go against her family.

 _"The idea of pitting myself against the likes of Xander, Camilla, Leo, and even Elise is basically a death wish anyways,"_ she thought in her head, _"Elise would break my heart, Xander is daunting enough as things are, Leo knows how to really mess with someone's mind; but really it's Camilla that would terrify me the most. I've fought her enough to know how deadly she is, and the idea of me stabbing her in the back would mean nothing short of a long, painful, and very drawn-out death at her hands. I wonder what she'd do if she saw me now..."_

Thankfully Sakura snapped Kamui out of her trancelike thought, and helped divert the subject down more sociable routes.

"So this is really Kamui?" she asked. She had been a small toddler when Kamui was taken and so her memories of her purple-haired sister were much vaguer than Hinoka or Ryoma's.

"Yes," Corrin announced, "I know it's big news, and Ryoma and I will fill you in on the whole story when we get back to the castle."

The small army prepared to return to the castle, and since the march was not terribly eventful, a few parties got involved in a bit of conversation.

"Lady Kamui," Zenzi spoke up, "I… I feel the need to ask. While you were in Nohr, did you come across a woman named Arozza?"

"Sure did," Kamui found the coincidence interesting. "She said that if I ever found a man and a woman named Roku and Zenzi, to tell them she said hello and that she's alright. Do you know of anyone by those names?"

"That's us!" Zenzi gasped, "I'm Zenzi, and this is Roku. She's okay then?"

"Never been better," Kamui chuckled, "Nohr's a scary place, but I don't think it's quite as scary as Hoshido makes it out to be."

"Well, those Faceless are a regular threat around certain parts of the country," Corrin pointed out, "They're the only things Nohr can throw at us as long as the barrier stands."

"Barrier?" Kamui tilted her head.

"Queen Mikoto erected a magical barrier around the kingdom that removes the will to fight of anyone who crosses it." Hinoka explained, "As long as she lives, that barrier will stand, and Nohr cannot invade Hoshido."

"Ah." Kamui noted, although this put her mind deeper into thought as she contemplated this.

 _"That's some high-level trickery right there. Is that why I harbor no animosity towards these people? I'd like to think not; and that my notion of treating people the way they treat me is what drives me to respect them. But even then… I always knew that Hoshidans had some demon-level trickery up their sleeves. Perhaps Xander was right about being wary. Hopefully not though. As much as I enjoy combat, I don't think that busting out into all-out war just to see whose metaphorical muscles are bigger is that good of an idea."_

"So is that why Nohr sends those things?" Kamui asked. Perhaps her wariness of King Garon was justified. She couldn't really imagine this to be the work of Xander or Camilla-not even to try and get her back.

"That's exactly why Nohr sends those things," Ryoma frowned, "King Garon has been trying to provoke Hoshido to war since the day you were kidnapped and our father-your father, Sumeragi was murdered in cold blood."

"So you're telling me that Garon and Mikoto didn't have a secret affair then." Kamui blurted out. The expressions of horror, embarrassment, and awkwardness forced the slightly rash princess to bite her gums before continuing. "I didn't figure as much, really. Although… I've had reservations about Garon for a while anyways. This just seems to verify it."

"Of course it does!" Hinoka barked, as if the very idea made her seethe, "King Garon and Nohr are pure evil. The mages that create those things don't even care if they themselves become casualties in the war. As long as they can take others down with them, they've succeeded as far as they care. I'll never forgive them for that… or for stealing you away…"

"So regardless of whether I live in Hoshido or Nohr, I'm going to have an emotionally-attached and protective older sister…" Kamui mused. "Good to know."

Kamui nodded but otherwise remained silent as they finished their march back to Shirasagi. Kamui barely managed to avoid a big social gathering and a get-to-know-me sort of event, by personally requesting a bit of alone time with Mikoto and a room for her to rest and recharge in. Incidentally, Mikoto seemed to know just the place, and led Kamui to a deserted room full of old toys and drawings, a few things still untouched on the floor from years ago.

"This is your old room," Mikoto explained, "you were always such a diligent little artist as a child." Her eyes followed Mikoto's towards an image attached to the wall. Eight childishly drawn stick figures were present there, and with the color choices, Kamui was fairly certain it was Sumeragi, Mikoto, Corrin, herself, and the siblings of Hoshido. She was willing to believe that this was in fact where she came from, but her lack of memories and thus attachment to this place was what still had her on the fence about it all. She explained all of this to Mikoto, trying to be as polite as possible about it but at the same time expressing her concerns.

"It makes sense, sweetheart." Mikoto sighed, "you spent almost your whole life in Nohr, in much harsher conditions than these. You will need plenty of time to think all of this through and to search your soul for what you believe is right, be it here in Hoshido or back in Nohr. For now, however, make yourself comfortable and at home. The castle and the grounds are free reign-you will certainly be safe here. There is no need to hurry your decision, although I do hope that we can be a family again someday…"

Kamui nodded. "Thank you, mother." the door closed behind Mikoto as she left, and Kamui took a little time to organize her things. She glanced around at her childhood toys, drawings, and other personal effects. She would definitely need to get some weapons and training dummies in this room, but after the battle with all the Faceless, she was a little "combatted out" for the moment. She decided to draw a bath, used that time to think and ponder.

Incidentally, she managed to come to several conclusions, although none of them were about where she should stay and what family she should live with. However, experiencing Hoshido firsthand gave her more ideas for one of the books she had wanted to write, and so after she was clean, she went back to writing-coupled with a little bit of illustrating. After all, apart from being a fighter, Kamui had also proven herself to be a fairly proficient writer and artist. She was by no means a jack of all trades, but she was certainly talented.

Incidentally, Corrin and the Hoshidan siblings were discussing that very thing about her: her talents.

"She's talented; make no mistake about it." Hinoka admitted, "I'm still a little confused as to where her loyalties lie, but maybe that's just me."

"Try to look at it from her perspective though." Corrin explained, "She's in an unfamiliar land surrounded by unfamiliar faces. If Rinkah's opened up to her that means Kamui has an introverted personality that would cause her to prefer her alone time." Corrin might not have been as battle-hardened as his sister, but he tried to be understanding towards people when he could.

"I do think we should watch her though, but more for her sake rather than ours. I am pretty sure she realizes that she's outnumbered."

"She better not try anything like that," Hinoka clenched a knife that she usually carried with her, "but I wouldn't put it above Nohr to try and condition her that way."

"If that's truly the case," Ryoma explained, "then we work to uncondition her hostility. Mother is right about Kamui requiring our patience above all else."

"I understand," Hinoka's grip loosened, "I just don't want to lose her again."

"Neither do we, Hinoka." Corrin nodded in agreement. "Neither do we."


	20. Chapter 20: Takumi's Discourse

**AUTHOR'S NOTES:** _I had to at least drop a little line or two about what the heck happened to Jakob after the incident in the Bottomless Canyon, because his disappearance in-game (and then sudden reappearance in Chapter 6) made no sense. Also, this chapter is primarily focused on character interaction and relationships. Unlike the game, there will be a lot of chapters that deal with things like this, since it's more story-based rather than gameplay-based. That basically just means that character development will happen more naturally instead of trying to have it happen between battle 18 and battle 19 or whatever. So, as the chapter's title indicates, Kamui and Takumi sort a few things out, for better or for worse._  
Happy Reading!

 **CHAPTER 20: Takumi's Discourse  
**

 _Sing with me a song of skeptics and time..._

Xander, Camilla, Leo, and Elise had all returned to Nohr, and all of them had considered Gunter dead, Kamui missing, and Jakob unsure, for neither of the three had returned. Unbeknownst to them, Kamui was safely in Hoshido, while Gunter was in a void that he was utterly unfamiliar with. As for Jakob, he had merely gotten lost due to the deception of the Hoshidans, and so was wandering through the hostile Nohrian woods, foraging for what he could in order to survive. His knives and healing staff kept him safe for the most part, but with the dark skies and no real landmarks to go off of apart from gnarled trees, he had difficulty tracking where exactly he was.

As such, he was rather surprised when he came across a rather large imposing gate seemingly out in the middle of nowhere.

"Of all the…" he stammered, before taking a look around. The ominous sky-blue glow coming from the largest door may have seemed inviting, but didn't exactly feel safe—not right now, anyways. Maybe he'd have to come back when he was more properly suited and prepared for this adventure. For now though, it helped collect his bearings, and if he ever got around to finding lady Kamui, he would be sure to let her know about this place. He hoped she had made it to safety. The only way to know for sure was to head back towards Windmire and pray for the best—for there was no way he would find her out here in this forsaken wilderness.

 _=Castle Shirasagi, around the same time…=_

It was a good few hours before Kamui emerged from her room again to take a look around the place. A stack of scrolls and papers now littered her desk, covered with her writing or imagery. She'd let others in on her creative habits a bit later. For now it was time to look around.

The castle here was much brighter and more welcoming than Castle Krakenburg back in Nohr. There were a lot more reds and whites than blacks and violets like back home, but despite its welcoming appearance, Kamui still felt a little daunted. She pondered Garon's words from before the mission. She didn't know what "Dusk Dragon Incarnate" meant, but if that was truly what she was, then perhaps that explained why the light felt a little awkward for her. She figured there was more here at work than met her eye though. Hoshido wasn't exactly as straightforward as Nohr.

She wanted to meet the rest of her family—maybe get some one-on-one talk with each of them. She had spoken a little to Hinoka and Ryoma, and a bit to her mother, but she had only said a few things to Sakura, and Takumi she hadn't seen at all. These names and faces did make her dream from back in the Northern Fortress make a whole lot more sense though, so there was that going for her.

Of course, when she wasn't writing or drawing, she was usually out training or practicing. Surely despite their peaceful aura Hoshido had to have a place where people honed their combat skills. That fancy-looking sword Prince Ryoma wielded didn't look like it just magically granted him his skill or anything like that.

She wandered through the courtyards until she heard the familiar sounds of metal against metal, and of arrows against targets, and a myraid of other slightly different but still vastly familiar sounds that played music to Kamui's ears. She was slightly surprised when she found the archery range only occupied by one individual. With how fast and frequent the shots were hitting, she had assumed there would be at least two or three people out there.

The man with the bow was familiar though. The silvery-grey hair, the long, unusual ponytail, and the blues, reds, and whites that comprised most of his outfit—this had to be Takumi. She wasn't exactly sure how to approach him, but knew that she should probably be the one to break the ice or at least attempt to.

"Hello, Takumi." she spoke. The young man's arrow whistled through the air as it sunk into nearly the dead center of the target. Takumi's fist clenched, but he said nothing.

"Takumi?" Kamui repeated, "I said hello."

"Yeah, I heard you." his tone sounded dismissive, "what do you need?"

"Well, I guess I don't *need* anything in particular; I just wanted to chat or something? Maybe get to know you a little better so I can become better-acquainted with Hoshido and its royal family?"

"Yeah well, thing is, I'm practicing right now," Takumi nocked another arrow, "can't you tell?"

"Well of course I can see that," Kamui nodded, "I don't necessarily think you should be jumping for joy that your sister's home after 15 years… I just kind of thought at least a hello would be nice or something."

"Hello." Takumi shrugged a shoulder, "is that better?"

"I… take it you're not interested in even turning around to look me in the eye, let alone have us try and get to know each other better." Kamui frowned.

"Bingo," Takumi gave her a thumbs-up, although in his defense he did turn around, briefly glancing her over. "You just hit the nail right on the head. I mean, sure I guess I should trust you since we're siblings and you're Corrin's twin… but we were raised worlds apart. I don't imagine we have a whole lot in common."

"Other than sarcasm maybe," Kamui quipped, "but hey. Corrin and I don't have much in common either and he's my twin brother. That doesn't mean we can't get to know each other so we can at least understand each other's differences… right?"

"Well, I know you lost a lot of your memory, but you at least remember that you grew up with the enemy, don't you?"

"That's… complicated." Kamui stammered. She refused to view Nohr as her enemy. As Hoshido's enemy, perhaps; but she had always been on good terms with Nohr in general, and frankly, she wished to keep it that way if she could.

"Right, deciding whether you want to support your real family or the family that wants your real family dead is such a complicated choice."

"It's not that simple!" Kamui looked a little flustered, "Takumi… look. I'm not trying to get off on the wrong foot with you here, but please; just bear with me, okay?"

"Considering that you're the reason mother's suddenly thrilled to bits, I'll listen. Slow me down or give me any more reasons to be suspicious of you though, and I'm out of here." Despite being younger than Kamui, Takumi's expression remained rather stern.

"II understand that I've been conditioned one way or another," Kamui reasoned, "we all have. I'm not saying I'm right; I'm not saying I'm wrong. Just… I'm sorry I can't be everything Hoshido wants me to be in the first 48 hours of being here. I'm trying; I really am. That's really part of why I'm reaching out to you right now. If you're part of my real family, I want to get to know them better—to know you better. Right now I feel very out of place, but if this is where I belong, I want to fit in—or at least not feel like my own siblings are trying to alienate me."

"And so what happens when your Nohrian 'family' shows up?" He warned, "I mean, I don't exactly think they'd want their pretend sister to just leave them so easily. They spent 15 years holding you away from us. They're going to come back."

"It's…" Kamui gritted her teeth, "Takumi… please. "

"Please what? I'm sorry if I'm not suddenly swooning over your much-awaited return like you're some sort of Hero in Hoshido or something. Is it illegal in Nohr to be skeptical? I guess with a king like Garon it might actually be. It'd explain a lot of Nohr's thinking—or lack of it."

Kamui cringed. This man was good at hitting right where it hurt, and his attacks were on two of the things Kamui cherished—her country and her family. The attacks on her country held some logic, but it was mostly about things beyond anyone's (save Garon's) control. The attacks on her family—whom she was certain Takumi did not even know at all—were the ones that hurt. Normally she'd have lashed out against anyone offending her like that, but the precarious status of her relationship with Takumi right now made her not want to compromise what little they had accomplished by giving him more fuel for his arguments.

"It's not that! Just… listen. Not everyone in Nohr is like King Garon. Xander, Camilla, Leo, and Elise are not like that. You can talk trash about Nohr as much as you'd like, but please… at least for now, I would appreciate it if you did not talk ill of my family."

"Your real family, or the ones that took youfrom us?" Takumi frowned, "Kamui, I'll admit that I'm still a bit jaded about all of that. They stole you away… got their hands on you and did gods-know-what. Maybe it's my ignorance; maybe it's something else—but it rubs me the wrong way, and I'm not happy about it. Sorry if you don't like me expressing my concerns."

"Look…" Kamui sighed, "I'm sorry, okay? If I had known then what I do now, things might have been different. But maybe let's stop talking about that family and more about this one? You guys are my real family… so let's talk about them—about you guys. I honestly want to get to know you. I can love my siblings from Nohr without hating you guys."

"They'll still hate us though. And we'll still hate them."

"Has Corrin ever talked to you about peace? Is that such a foreign concept in a country that claims to seek peace and tranquility?"

"Foreign? No. A bit unrealistic? I'd personally think so. You probably haven't seen the atrocities that Nohr has committed against us, and the ones they'd love to if they were given the chance. Corrin's kind of a dreamer when it comes to all his talk about the end of the wars, but he's got his mind in the right place. But hey, if you want me to understand that you can't just magically accept your true family for what we are, then you have no right getting angry when we don't just magically decide to trust Nohr—or if I don't magically suddenly trust you."

"I understand," Kamui sighed, "I will do what I can to kindle that trust though, Takumi. Thank you for listening to me, even if we might not have accomplished much this time. I really do want to get acquainted with you, and with Hoshido as a whole. You need time and I need time though. We at least understand that about each other, right?"

"Yeah, sure." Takumi nodded, "I'll try and be fair with you, sister. But remember—you can't blame my skepticism if you don't want me blaming yours."

"Right," Kamui agreed, and she took her leave. It was definitely a colder welcome than she had expected, but at the same time, she understood that there was logic behind many of Takumi's arguments and that he thus had a point. The road to gaining Hoshido's trust was not an easy one, but Kamui hoped she would have enough time to bond with each of her siblings before her kin from Nohr returned. If Corring could dream of peace, Kamui could dream of fostering bonds with Hoshido and Nohr. Still… the whole encounter had gotten her tense, specifically with Takumi's jabs against her Nohrian family. Her shoulders and body were tense, and she needed to unwind. She wondered if Hoshido had hot springs the way Nohr did.

She now had a destination in mind as she explored the castle and grounds; and knew what she'd spend her time pondering when she got there.


	21. Chapter 21: The Warrior Princesses

**AUTHOR'S NOTES:** _And here we meet Hinoka. This admittedly means that this is another Kamui-chapter, but for those wondering about what's up with Corrin, fear not. His time will come. Since we're dealing primarily with the Hoshidans right now, I'm focusing on how they react to Kamui, rather than showing their everyday life playing house. What this also means, however, is that after the Nohrian siblings join the party, I will make the same efforts to see how they and Corrin react to one another, especially since I'd actually consider Corrin more of the "leader" than Kamui. But I won't spoil too much about that yet. The good news is that the next chapter will deal a lot with Corrin and we'll get to see more of him. The only reason it's taken so long is because I've got a lot of characters I want to flesh out. Ryoma's only had a few lines, Sakura's barely appeared at all, and Azura is still as of yet, completely absent. It doesn't mean that they're not going to appear in the story by any means; it just means I need a couple of chapters to get around to everyone. So in summary: fear not. Corrin's time will come. So by all means, keep those reviews and comments coming. :)  
Happy Reading!  
_

 **CHAPTER 21: The Warrior Princesses**

 _Sing with me a song of Sisters and Spars…_

Incidentally, it did not actually take very long for Kamui to find one of the people she was looking for, and based on what she was carrying, it looked she'd be able to help her with the question she had. The towel in Hinoka's arms was a giveaway of where she might be going, and thus Kamui decided to pop her question.

"I'm surprised to see you out and about," Hinoka commented, "What were you up to in your room all morning?"

"Mostly just writing," Kamui shrugged, "but then I got up and did some things and now I'm all tense. I was actually going to ask you something: you know of any hot springs around here? Bathhouses? Anything like that?"

"There's one right here in Hoshido, if that's what you mean," Hinoka explained, although her head tilted slightly as if she was curious as to what Kamui was on about. "Did you need to borrow a bathing suit?" Her words coupled with her actions made it clear that that had been where she was going before she had run into Kamui anyways.

"That'd be great, actually." She hoped that they weren't too different from what she had in Nohr, and thus was pleasantly surprised when they weren't. There were a few changing rooms surrounding the main bath, and for the moment, Hinoka and Kamui were alone.

By the time Kamui had finished changing, she found Hinoka waiting for her. Similar to Kamui, she was very athletically built; perhaps even moreso than Kamui even. It was a stark contrast to the curvaceous figure Camilla had, which Kamui had seen dozens of times. She was only snapped out of checking out Hinoka when the red-haired woman spoke. Kamui had not realized that she was being checked out in turn, primarily for the dazzling array of scars on her body.

"What did those Nohrians do to you?" She looked both intrigued and slightly horrified.

"I just didn't really use much in the way of scar-removing magic," Kamui shrugged, "they're battle-scars, and both Xander and Camilla are formidable enemies."

"You let them abuse you like that?"

"I wouldn't call it abuse. Tough love, maybe, but not abuse. It was consensual. You look like someone who has seen their share of fighting though, haven't you?"

"Well yeah… but haven't you ever heard of this thing called healing?"

"I may or may not have declined it a few times for… various reasons." Kamui tapped her toes against the ground as she looked down at them.

"Kamui…" Hinoka sighed, "you're an idiot."

"Hmm?" Kamui squinted, her head tilting to one side.

"Okay, maybe that wasn't the best way of putting it. I guess I'm just irked by knowing that Nohr took you from us, and then when we finally get you back they've carved you up like some sort of meat at dinnertime. Who else has seen you like that?"

"Other than you? Just my sister Camilla. The others know about them but haven't seen as many of them considering I usually wear a little more than on a daily basis."

"Is that how they teach people fighting skills in Nohr?" Hinoka started walking towards the water before sliding in with grace.

"That's how I was taught, but I don't think they're all that bad." Kamui shrugged, sinking into the water as well before popping her head back out, "My younger siblings Leo and Elise are proficient magicians and neither one of them is very scarred."

"So they're harder on you?"

"No, I'm just an idiot and didn't want them to remove my scars. To me they were a reminder that I needed to grow stronger. Did you ever have anything like that?"

"I… did, actually." This seemed to click with Hinoka more than Kamui had expected, much to her surprise. "You were my inspiration, Kamui. Every time I passed by your empty room, or every time I went to visit Father's grave… I was reminded about that fateful day when the Nohrians took you from us. So I trained. I learned to fight, and I learned to fight hard. I can nearly take down Ryoma myself now. I was determined to get you back. I might not have thought things through as well as I should have… but I finally have you back now… and I never want to lose you again."

She pulled Kamui into an embrace, which Kamui somewhat awkwardly returned. The relationship here was not one-sided, but it was clear one side was more affectionate than the other—at least for the time being.

"I understand…" Kamui spoke softly as they separated, "And I'm trying. I really am. I've hardly been here 48 hours though. I can't just erase the last 15 years of my life, let alone that quickly… and parts of it are things I don't really want to erase.

"You like them, don't you? Those… Nohrians…"

"Well yeah… I mean, they treated me like family. I'm not really a fan of Garon at all, but Xander, Camilla, Leo, and Elise loved me the same way that you do. That's why this is hard, Hinoka. I might not have the same bonds with you and Hoshido that you have with me, but please understand that I don't want it to stay that way. I want to get to know you. I want to be able to bond with you and the others the way I have with Camilla and my siblings back in Nohr."

"I don't know how sheltered or not you were," Hinoka frowned, "but you do realize that they and we are enemies, right?"

"Of course I do." Kamui sighed, "And that just makes this that much harder for me. If I try to choose one side over the other, there is going to be a great deal of hurt feelings and probably even vented anger from whichever side I leave behind."

"We can keep you safe though." Hinoka looked Kamui right in the eyes, "Those Nohrians wouldn't be able to lay a finger on you."

"I have no doubt that I would remain safe in Hoshido," Kamui nodded, "but I don't want to hide from my former family any more than I'd want to hide behind Xander and Camilla to protect me from the wrath of you and Ryoma. Surely you can understand my reasoning, right?"

"I…" Hinoka's arms softened, as if she was unclenching fists under the water out of Kamui's sight, "I can understand it. I really hate the idea, and the notion of seeing you get taken by Nohrians again makes me seethe… but I can kind of see where you're coming from. I just want to make sure you're giving Hoshido a fair chance."

"That's exactly what I want to do!" Kamui reasoned, "I don't want a love of Nohr and a love of Hoshido to be mutually exclusive. Don't get me wrong—trying to be happy and make friends with everyone is not exactly something I do… but family, whether by blood or by adoption… is family. And those are the most important kinds of bonds out there to me. That's why I'm so fixated on giving you and your brothers and sister a fair chance."

"...Forgive me for my misconception then," Hinoka leaned against Kamui. She detected an obvious sense of affection very similar to Camilla's except less motherly and more sisterly. She liked it, and frankly, hoped she could foster a solid relationship with Hinoka as well as all of the others in due time. Time was what she needed more than anything at this point, she felt.

"You gotta understand how much losing you devastated us though… particularly me." Hinoka continued, "usually I'm not this clingy. It's just that I'm so happy to have you back with us… I get so excited that sometimes it's hard for me to know how to react."

"I'm no socialite," Kamui chuckled, "your guesses are as good as mine."

Hinoka smiled, looking Kamui in the eyes again.

"You really are Corrin's sister." she pointed out, "you've got the same facial structure… the same eyes. You should talk to him if you haven't already. I'm sure he'll be a lot nicer than some of us were… and hopefully a little less awkward."

"Hinoka, it's fine." Kamui smiled. "You don't need to worry about gaining my approval. I just kind of need some time to sort my thoughts out. Although… I've been meaning to ask."

"Hmm?" Hinoka raised an eyebrow.

"Is there a reason we look so different?" she asked, "I mean, the hair color is explainable, kind of like how you have red hair while Takumi's is grey, Sakura's is pink, and Ryoma's dark brown, but what about my eyes and ears?"

"I've got red eyes," Hinoka shrugged, "I don't know what's up with your ears though. But if it's any consolation, no, this isn't some elaborate scheme from Hoshido."

"Well, I can't really imagine it being so with Corrin here," Kamui pointed out, "really, I'm more curious than anything. I'm also curious about you."

"Me?" Hinoka seemed suddenly like she had just been put on the spot. "What about me?"

"You look strong; like a warrior. I dunno if Corrin's into that sort of thing, but I am. I want to see how well you hold your own against me."

"You better not just be looking for more scars," Hinoka frowned.

"No; I genuinely want to test your strength against mine," Kamui asserted, "I want to challenge Ryoma too if I can. Have you guys never sparred with one another?"

"We have, a few times…" Hinoka mused, "but your wording makes it sound more violent."

"Well, it's not a good fight without a little blood loss," Kamui chuckled, wetting her hair again, "but it's not like we try to kill each other." In truth, that was exactly what Xander and Camilla had done, however, and if Kamui had been careless she likely would have been killed. However, she didn't want to give any of the Hoshidans more fuel against her Nohrian kin.

"I can't turn down the offer of a challenge," Hinoka asserted, "name a time and a place."

"Tomorrow afternoon, perhaps?" Kamui offered, "We just got cleaned up, so there's no need to get dirty… and maybe we can throw in a bit of pre-match training between now and then."

"I like that." Hinoka nodded approvingly, "Keep your wits about you, sister. I don't know what they taught you in Nohr, but just because it's a more peaceful place here doesn't mean we're weak."

"Never thought otherwise," Kamui smirked. "I look forward to it."

The two sisters felt that it was a suitable place to end the conversation for the time being, and so both of them leaned back and relaxed as they soaked in the hotspring bath. Hinoka closed her eyes, and Kamui followed suit, although she was deep in thought. In contrast to Takumi, Hinoka seemed a bit more receptive to her. She knew she would definitely want to train hard between now and tomorrow for her spar against Hinoka, but in the meantime, perhaps the fiery-haired woman had a point: perhaps it was time to talk to Corrin.


	22. Chapter 22: Family Matters

**AUTHOR'S NOTES:** _As promised there's a lot of Corrin in this chapter. We also get to touch more on Takumi's character, and get introduced to everyone's favourite Nohr-hating, demon-faced fashionista. In Hoshido's defense, their intentions are good. Most of them just want the family to be together again, but on the other hand, Nohr's done enough damage that a few of them might also want to kind of "get them back" by keeping Kamui. Let me know what you think of the character development (or lack thereof?) in the comments. Or any kind of input/feedback/questions/comments. All of it is greatly appreciated. It really is._  
 _Happy Reading!_

 **CHAPTER 22: Family Matters**

 _Sing with me a song of Demons and Doubts..._

The bath was certainly a welcomed refreshment for Kamui, who had not bathed in a while, and thus her gratitude towards Hinoka was genuine to the core. Once that was done though, she was serious about going to speak with her brother Corrin, and thus after she was cleaned and dried off, Kamui wandered the halls of the castle in an attempt to find her twin brother. Originally she thought he might be outside training with some of the others, but that was not so much his thing as it was hers, and so her search continued.

She wound up encountering him in his own room, where she knocked on the door but slid it open and entered anyways.

"Kamui," He raised his eyebrows as the girl closed the door behind her. "What do you need?"

"I just wanted to talk," she indicated, "can I sit down? I feel like we should know each other the best, but we don't even know each other at all."

"Well, I grew up in Hoshido and you grew up in Nohr," he pointed out, "odds are there is going to be a slew of differences between us. Still… I want to get to know you too. You're kind of intimidating though."

"Me? intimidating?" Kamui laughed, "I'm smaller than you are. I might be a snarky little shit but I'm not about to go on a Nohrian killing spree or something. This isn't about what I shouted during the battle up north, is it?"

"No…" Corrin shook his head, "that did initially give me concern, but when you directed those attacks at the Faceless instead of my kinsmen, I figured it just slipped."

"That's more or less the gist of it," Kamui shrugged, "but why do I intimidate you?""

"I'm cautious, for one," Corrin explained, "but I've seen the way you fight, and you're a savage warrior. It's admirable… it just makes me worry what would happen if I was ever on opposite sides of the battlefield from you."

"Well, I… I guess I should be honest." Kamui stammered, "I think if I had to choose here and now, I'd choose to go back to Nohr. I mean, they're the ones I grew up with; they're the ones I'm familiar with. But here's the thing…" she paused, noticing Corrin had opened his mouth. "I don't want love for Hoshido and love for Nohr to be exclusive. Surely you can understand the concept of harmony, right?"

"I can," Corrin nodded, "and I commend you for trying to see both sides of the picture. But as long as Nohr continues its aggressions against us, we won't be able to realize your dream any more than we'll be able to realize mine."

"So are we doing anything about it?" she asked. "Because if you wait for Nohr to attack, odds are Nohr is going to just attack."

"Mother is working on some type of peace talk in Izumo soon," Corrin explained, "your return seems to be in line with this, but it's very likely you'll see your friends from Nohr there."

"My siblings," Kamui corrected him. "I don't make friends too easily, but family bonds are ones that I will hold with me until death."

"Right, right…" Corrin sighed, "if only you understood what it would mean to have that place in your heart… but we will be patient."

"Thanks," Kamui shuddered, trying not to bring it to her mind, "and yeah, about the peace talks, I guess that'd make sense."

"Oddly, apparently King Garon will not be attending." Corrin shrugged, "I'm not sure why."

"So you're pretty savvy on the political scene it appears, eh?" Kamui raised an eyebrow.

"I try to stay up to date on politics." he pointed out, "it's the least I can do with being somewhat detached from everyday life."

"I wasn't rewarded such a luxury," Kamui shrugged, "and so I probably also don't really know what you do for fun. Do you do anything exciting?"

"Sometimes I go for walks," Corrin explained, "or have a song or a dance with Azura. If I'm feeling particularly social I'll go out and roam the town. How about you?"

"I usually am either hacking and slashing at training dummies in my room, or I'm at my desk, drawing or writing."

"What else do you do?" Corrin looked at her, "besides fight, I mean?"

Kamui did not respond, but slipped off her shirt. "I collect scars." Corrin actually gasped, almost recoiling from the sight. The scars had healed well, but had left odd colorations on Kamui's skin.

"Is that how they train in Nohr?" Corrin cringed.

"It's a long story, but yes." Kamui nodded, "don't judge."

Corrin nodded, knowing that it was easier said than done. Kamui put her shirt back on, but it didn't stop Corrin from being rightfully angry that his sister was so scarred up from her time in Nohr. Still, he tried to keep a level head, knowing that if she was giving Hoshido a chance, that he'd have to give her remarks about Nohr a similar treatment if he wanted to keep her with them.

"Didja need anything else?" Kamui interrupted Corrin's thought process with a curious question.

"I think I'm good for a while." Corrin admitted, "I've got a few things to think about."

"Alright," she got up, "I'm gonna get up and write some more books or something. See ya around. Thanks for the walk, by the way."

Despite her politeness, Corrin felt conflicted. He and his twin sister had almost nothing really in common, and they seemed to be on completely different wavelengths to boot.

Incidentally, the first one he went to discuss this with was Takumi, who this time was accompanied by one of his retainers, Oboro. He was wielding a practice katana this time, while Oboro was using a spear to deflect his blows—and was remarkably skilled.

"Oh, Lord Corrin!" Oboro saw him first only because of the direction he approached them from. Takumi stopped instantly as well and turned around.

"You look exactly like Ryoma does when something's on his mind," the prince raised an eyebrow.

"My sister," Corrin began, and almost immediately Oboro's face scrunched up into a terrifying expression complete with an eye twitch.

"I'll be honest, Corrin," Takumi explained, "I don't trust her yet. She might like it here, but I get this vibe that her loyalties are still with Nohr."

"She's only been here a couple of days though," Corrin reasoned, "but what we need is a way to sway her in our favour."

"Well, you could always just start with all the horrible things Nohr has done, especially to us," Oboro pointed out. Her face seemed to have gone back to normal, but her left eye was still twitching, "unless she tries to justify those too."

"For her, it's the whole family deal, and that's a tough nut to crack with her." Corrin indicated, "I know it might be hard, especially with how used to certain Nohrian customs she is, but we need to give her time and patience. If we alienate her all that's going to do is further her cause and reasoning to want to go back to Nohr."

"I'd rather have her leave than get stabbed in the back though," Takumi warned. "But… it's your twin sister. I'm not going to trust her right away without reason, but I'll bear with her for a while. How does that sound?"

"That's all I can ask for, brother," Corrin smiled, although it was short-lived as he saw Oboro.

"Lady Hinoka told me what's under those clothes of hers." She muttered.

"You're not seriously criticizing her taste in underclothes, are you?" Corrin gawked.

"No!" Oboro shook her head as if shaking out a mental image, "I'm talking about her skin. They've butchered her; carved her up like some sort of banquet meat. Forgive me if I'm wrong here, but I want to say that she didn't look like that when she was here. That was them. That was Nohr, doing what Nohr does."

"Oboro…" Corrin sighed,

"Don't Oboro me…" Oboro's eye started twitching again, her face darkening, "Look, she could the Nohriest Nohrian to ever Nohr and that wouldn't upset me nearly as much as knowing that she's been hacked at and abused by… wait for it… Nohrians. That hits me a little too close to home, Lord Corrin. I don't wish for my fate to fall upon anyone… but it makes me seethe to think about it." She almost didn't even need to say it; her knuckles were white from how tightly she gripped her naginata, and Corrin actually thought she'd snap it right in two.

"Oboro…" Takumi took her free hand. She shuddered, taking a deep breath before exhaling heavily as she tried to calm herself down.

"I hate to admit it, but Corrin's right. As much as I hate Nohr too, I don't want to scare Kamui off. If she's constantly on edge, that means she's used to being afraid and having to hide it. We shouldn't make her feel that way in Hoshido where there's not someone waiting to murder you around every corner."

"R-right…" Oboro sighed again, "Sorry. You know how Nohr makes my blood boil, Lord Takumi."

"I know," Takumi acknowledged it, "but think of it this way… if we can get Kamui to stick around, that's a slap in the face for Nohr and a victory for everyone. Now c'mon… even you have to admit that sounds promising…"

Slowly, a smile crept back onto Oboro's face. "Yeah… yeah it does. I apologize for letting you see that side of me, Lord Corrin. I… should probably take a few moments to catch my breath." She respectfully bade Takumi and Corrin a farewell and disappeared back into the castle.

"What's this?" Corrin couldn't help but quip, "Takumi being nice to someone?"

"Hey," he punched Corrin amiably, "that's a luxury reserved for people I trust."

"Well… you're right about one thing," Corrin pointed out, "if we can convince Kamui to stay, it's a victory for Hoshido, and for our family."

"I'm always right," Takumi boasted.

"I won't argue that one at this point," Corrin chuckled, shaking his head. "Thanks for the talk though. You know I'm no flatterer, but I like the insights you offer, brother."

"Hey, I'm good at advice," he reasoned, "just don't get too close to your sister too fast, until we make sure she's safe."

"No worries there," Corrin assured him as he left. Takumi smirked, but deep down he knew that his words had come out for a reason. His notion that Kamui was afraid came from his own method of hiding his fears. He went back to practicing with his katana, his mind on Corrin's words. Losing Kamui—and knowing that she was away from them—had hurt him as a child, and while he was defensive around her, he knew that he'd have to be genuine if he didn't want to scare her off. He knew that if she left them again, that it would just make him angrier, and everything would spiral downward from there, and considering how much he dealt with nightmares of his own already, he didn't need the nightmare of losing his sibling to Nohr a 2nd time to become a reality...


	23. Chapter 23: The Invitations

**AUTHOR'S NOTES:** _Fear not, citizens. While there's a lot of essential character building I need to do, I'm not gonna drop it all on individual chapters for each character. Takumi was important because of the opposition he offers, Hinoka was more for the opposite effect. Anyways, this is where things get interesting, because I diverge from the canon events a little bit. So, there's going to be a scene in the very near future that wasn't in the game, and hopefully some good comes from that. Also... to the one who asked about the child characters... yes. I plan to include all of them (and at least one other "guest" character), although there will be none of that "Deeprealm/Babyrealm" nonsense. I've got better plans for how I intend to implement them, and a few of them might start very subtly popping up shortly after Act III commences._  
 _But, I've rambled too much. Happy Reading!_

 **CHAPTER 23: The Invitations**

 _Sing with me a song of Tactics and Strength..._

Kamui was mostly absent for the remainder of the evening and much of the following morning, although someone did spot her and Kagero making a brief exchange of some sort. She did not say what the documents she took from Kamui were other than mentioning that they were "manuscripts", but since Kagero's loyalty was unshakable, no one thought much of it. Later in the afternoon, however, both Kamui and Hinoka were outside warming up for their sparring match they had promised one another. Kamui was a bit skeptical about using wooden weapons, which in turn made Hinoka even more skeptical.

"What did you practice with in Nohr?" she tilted her head.

"We used real battle-grade weapons," Kamui shrugged, assuming that was the norm, "and we essentially played to kill. Wrong moves on either side might have been our undoing."

"That…" Hinoka cringed, "well, that explains a lot. We, um… aren't exactly fighting to kill you here, so please don't try and kill us."

"I can step it down," Kamui agreed, "you don't mind getting a little roughed up though, do you?"

"I'm not that weak," Hinoka shook her head, grabbing a wooden spear, "at your ready, sister."

A small audience, mostly consisting of Hinoka's family, had gathered to watch them square off. Even Corrin and Ryoma were among the crowds, and the thoughts of going against them were swimming persistently through Kamui's head.

A gong sounded and Kamui came at Hinoka with a level of ferocity nearly mimicking that which she had come at Xander and Camilla with not too long ago. Hinoka seemed overwhelmed at first, but after getting the hang of Kamui's berserk-like fighting style, she began to adapt to it, using her own wily speed to keep her sister off balance. She did not go easy on Kamui, and odds were she'd definitely leave a bruise or two. Still, Kamui might have been down but she was not out. She sprang back up and launched into a vicious offensive that left Hinoka reeling. She came in for a vicious blow, but Hinoka blocked it and called out.

"Oy! I yield!" she shook her head, "and I'd really not like to get my skull cracked open. Damn, Kamui. You're a lot better at this than I thought. Did you take tips from Rinkah?"

"I should have, although I did spar with her during my brief sojourn at the Flame Tribe before she took me here," Kamui admitted. After the two of them stopped fighting, Sakura raced in to help mend everyone's wounds.

"Big sister!" she gasped as she saw Hinoka's bruises, "a-are you okay!?"

"I'm fine," she ruffled Sakura's hair, "a little roughed up because your sister's stronger than I thought, but nothing I can't handle."

"Oh thank goodness!" Sakura sighed in relief, you two looked like you were hitting each other pretty hard. I… I know it's not real fighting, but I always hate seeing you get hurt."

"I've dealt with worse," Hinoka shrugged, "but I'd still hate to get caught on the business end of Kamui's sword."

"Any more takers?" Kamui held her wooden swords in both hands, as if offering a challenge, "it's just some good clean fun; I know some of you have probably wanted to lay some beat-downage on a Nohrian. Can I interest you, Brother? High Prince of Hoshido and all that?"

"I do not see harming you for personal glory as a worthwhile investment of my time," Ryoma replied. Kamui looked disappointed, but then Ryoma's lip curled upwards on one side.

"However," he continued, "If the stories you say about besting the Crown Prince of Nohr are true, I do wish to test my blade against one so capable."

There were hushed whispers among the other siblings and their retainers as Ryoma approached Kamui in the ring. Kamui could overhear many of them betting on Ryoma destroying her; and while she credited a lot of it to bias, she also figured that Ryoma was just as capable at holding his own as Xander. She was also ready to mentally note any differences. Hinoka had fought similar to Camilla in terms of ability, but she was fiercer, and made up for her lack of power with dizzying speed. It fit her fighting style in Kamui's mind. Camilla's calm and elegant-but-deadly style was a different flavor than Hinoka's fierce, rugged but precise methods.

Kamui cracked her knuckles as she watched Ryoma take up a pair of wooden katana. Her red eyes scanned Ryoma's figure, watching how he stood; how he carried his weapons, and even how he moved. The moment they were given the signal to fight, she raced forward as if about to attack to see if Ryoma would follow-up with a defensive maneuver or a counterattack. He parried her blow almost effortlessly, helping confirm one of Kamui's theories. She sprung back, sidestepping but keeping her gaze on Ryoma. He almost did the same thing to her that she had done to him, but his turned out to be a feint, followed up by a swift attack that made Kamui stagger. Despite this, she managed to stay on her feet and prevent Ryoma from gaining an edge or an offensive. There was a moment where both combatants were frozen, but after a moment, the fight suddenly changed for the better. Both Kamui and Ryoma erupted into a frenzy of fast-paced moves, essentially turning it into a hack-and-slash kind of tournament. Despite his larger stature, Ryoma was swift and light on his feet, his strikes as swift and sudden as the lightning that came from the Raijinto katana he normally wielded. Kamui had admired it from afar, and while she wondered what it would be like to face off against Ryoma wielding that thing, she decided not to push her luck.

The longer the two sparred, the more Kamui was able to conclude. He was much harder to strike than Xander was, but also shrugged off those hits a lot less efficiently. On the other hand, he hit hard and hit fast, which kept Kamui on her toes. After dozens of somersaults, strikes, kicks, flips, dodges, slashes, parries, and swings, Ryoma crossed his blades, signalling a halt to the fight. He looked rather winded, but also seemed pleased.

"I don't know what they teach you in Nohr," he admitted, "but you are a formidable and worthy opponent, Kamui. Thank you for that."

"I'm surprised," Kamui admitted, "I mean, I knew you were powerful; I just kind of wanted to see how you compared to Xander. You and Hinoka are hard to compare to Xander and Camilla because you two fight so differently from them though."

"As long as you're not just trying to size us up for an actual fight," Takumi stepped in with a warning of his own, "we're not about to kneel to Nohrians."

Kamui shook her head. "Takumi… that's… that's really not what I meant at all."

It was mind-blowing to Kamui just how many similarities Ryoma, Hinoka, Takumi, and Sakura had with Xander, Camilla, Leo, and Elise. The only real rift seemed to be between her and Corrin, who she felt like they had nothing in common. Otherwise it was almost like her siblings had all just been given makeovers and Hoshidan personas.

"Although…" she continued, deciding to focus more on the here and now rather than the differences between her and her twin brother, "I'm curious as to how well Corrin fights."

"No!" Sakura exclaimed, "Big sister, I-I can't let you keep fighting! N-not without you letting me heal you, at least… is… it that okay?" Sakura seemed tense just by having the courage to step in and say her part, and it was difficult for even Kamui not to admire it.

"Hey, I won't say no…" she admitted, "and I'm not trying to one-up your brother here or anything either. I just want to see if he's as capable a fighter as he is as a leader."

"A good tactician knows when to fold," Corrin admitted, "you are likely my better in combat, sister. Although I wouldn't mind a game of strategy with you later if you don't mind. Maybe we can actually have a more substantial conversation as opposed to last time we tried to."

"Name a time and a place," Kamui couldn't turn down a challenge either. "I'll be there."

"Later this evening would work well for me." Corrin indicated. "I've got a few things with Mother that I need to sort out regarding the upcoming trip to Izumo, but other than that I should be mostly free later this evening."

"I've heard talk about that," Kamui piped up, "what's that about?"

"That's something you should probably ask Mother about," Corrin indicated, "I'll be there too… just that she wants to explain it better to you."

"Right." Kamui nodded, "I need a bit of time to wind down from the fight though… you might have noticed I'm still a bit jumpy."

She gave Ryoma and Sakura both a smile, before retreating to her room to write some more. She enjoyed what she had seen of Hoshido and its people thus far, although despite the much friendlier conditions here, she still felt a bit homesick. More than anything, she missed her Nohrian siblings, and really wished that she could talk to Camilla and get a few things off of her mind. However, she knew there was no point in complaining about things she could not fix, and so she decided to put her time to use.

Corrin returned to Mikoto's study, finding her still penning out a letter of some sort. On her desk there was an envelope with a foreign seal on it that Corrin knew belonged to Nohr.

"Mother," he softly broke the silence, causing Mikoto to turn towards him.

"Corrin," she whispered, "This troubles me. You obviously know what Nohr is asking me about, and so you surely understand my dilemma."

"They want Kamui back, don't they?"

"They at least want her to decide where she wants to live. Is it selfish for a mother to want to keep her child with her?"

"A child that you wasted 15 years to see the face of again?" Corrin frowned, "if anything, that seems hardly fair for her to be taken away from you so soon. She belongs here with us… but I think she still has her heart in Nohr."

"I want her to remain with us as much as you do, son," Mikoto sighed, "but if she does, I want it to be her choice. She's far too wild to try and force or confine. If she wants to flee, she will find a way. She always will."

"I wasn't able to tell her about this meeting yet." Corrin confessed, "I guess it kind of hurts to think about losing her again. She's trying to bond and we're trying to bond… even Takumi. She's something that none of us are used to dealing with though. I feel like if she knew this early on that her siblings were looking for her and a way to get her back, that she would jump at it."

"They do have the right to reclaim her if Kamui wishes it though," Mikoto insisted, "I will send them a reply tomorrow morning. I will set a date for the peace talks in Izumo, and hopefully also diffuse this dreadful looming war that is hanging over our heads."

"Should I let her know then?" Corrin offered, "she's going to meet me in a couple hours for a game, which means she'll be out of her room."

"It… is for the best that she knows," Mikoto agreed, "she already suspects that Hoshido is keeping secrets from her, and so it's best not to support her claim any further than we already do, intentional or otherwise."

"Got it." Corrin nodded. "Thank you for sharing this, Mother."

"I love you just as I love her, Corrin," Mikoto nodded. "I try to be just in my motions and judgments, but sometimes my feelings for my child try and get the best of me. Do break ti to her nicely though, okay?"

"Of course," Corrin promised. "I want her to stay as much as you do."

As he left Mikoto's study, now the idea of the Izumo peace talks was in his mind. It worried him, because he felt like that was the make-or-break point. Whatever date Mikoto set for them to meet would mark the deadline for Hoshido to get through to Kamui. If they couldn't convince her by then, they would likely just have to accept that she would want to return to Nohr.


	24. Chapter 24: Lady Mikoto

**AUTHOR'S NOTES:** _I somehow picked up a quirk where I use certain American spellings and certain British spellings. Don't let that be too off-putting. That aside, this was an interesting chapter, because while it jumps into parts of the game's 5th chapter despite me not technically finishing the 4th one yet, it's also about to help transition into a scene that was not originally in Revelation. Also, yes there is chess, and yes it's Hoshido/Nohr style._  
 _Happy Reading!_

 **CHAPTER 24: Lady Mikoto**

 _Sing with me a song of Secrets and Queens..._

Kamui bided her time in her room without interruptions until Corrin was ready. Kagero seemed to be the messenger between the two, also running some sort of errands for Kamui, before finally alerting her that Corrin was waiting for her in his study.

"This isn't some game of Hoshidan trickery that I've never heard of before, is it?" she asked,

"Highly improbable," Kagero explained, "I am not sure how familiar you are with it, but I almost guarantee that you have it or something very similar to it in Nohr."

"Good to know," Kamui muttered as she met up with Corrin. In front of him was a board and two small armies of pieces. Kamui did recognize the game, and recognized the pieces. On one side were Hoshidan pegasi, diviners, samurai, and a King and Queen among others, and on the other were Nohrian wyverns, mercenaries, dark mages, and a King and Queen of their own.

"I take it I don't even need to ask which side you want to play as?" Corrin offered an amused expression as Kamui analyzed the pieces while she sat down.

"Well, we could always throw one another for a loop and have me be Hoshido and you be Nohr…" Kamui quipped, "but nah, it'd be easier for us both to just stick with what we know."

"Right then," Corrin finished setting up the pieces, "Nohr makes the first move."

"I don't know if I should be flattered or offended," Kamui analyzed the pieces and the board in front of her, "but alright. Let's do this."

Kamui made a few moves, while Corrin's moves seemed slower and more calculated.

"Sorcerer takes samurai at E4," Kamui smirked, "that's first blood."

"Until the king is dead, the game continues," Corrin reminded her, moving his queen to chase after Kamui's sorcerer, "Almost like in real life."

"Huh…" Kamui mused, "I can see the parallel there." She thought about Garon. Was he the reason this inevitable war was looming over their heads?

"Nohr is itching to strike," Corrin looked down at the board, where Kamui's pieces were in a formation to go all-out offensive, much like how Kamui did when she fought, "If the magical barrier that Mother has set around this land were to fall, the invasion would come."

"You seem awfully presumptuous for someone who has never even set foot into Nohr," Kamui looked a little defensive, "don't tell me you've been taking notes from Takumi or something."

"I am wary for the sake of my kin and countrymen," Corrin pointed out, "but not to the point of fully distrusting them. I am simply stating what we've seen in the 15 years you've been gone."

"Perhaps it's time you meet some actual Nohrians instead of just the usual coin-hunting mercenaries that Garon sends out for sport," Kamui pointed out, prodding her queen towards a cluster of Corrin's pawns, "but for that matter, why all the sudden distrust? Do you know something about my family that I don't?"

Corrin gave pause before moving a pegasus to help defend his samurai. "They have inquired about you." he admitted after making his move. Kamui froze with her hand still on her queen.

"When? How long has it been? What have you told them?" her expression changed dramatically, her eyes showing a mixture of fear and frenzy.

"Most of those questions you'd have to ask Mother about," Corrin began, "but from my understanding, they have inquired regarding your location, and are going to be here within a week in Izumo to discuss your peaceful return—or perhaps peace as a whole."

"So that's what the whole Izumo thing was about," Kamui did not want to openly admit that she could not point out Izumo on a map, but she also didn't imagine that she'd have to trek through Hoshidan wilderness alone to go and find it or anything. Besides, if Xander and Camilla knew where it was, that was enough for her (although she would make note and learn of its location and how to get there, by going there and back).

"That's what it was about," Corrin nodded, "although don't get too distracted, or you'll lose your other sorcerer like the one my pegasus just captured."

"Right," Kamui shunted all of her new thoughts aside for the moment to focus on the game. Her competitive nature had her really wanting to win, perhaps mainly since he had declined to spar with her, and she had wanted to see what he was made of.

"You're better at this than I expected," Corrin complimented her, "but you're leaving your king too open by pressing the offensive. You might want to be careful. Diviner takes tower at H3."

"Well then," Kamui picked up her queen again, "let's see you counter this." She set the piece down on a different square, feeling proud of herself.

"I don't need to." Corrin chuckled. "You just made the wrong move…" He moved his queen into position, pinning Kamui's king and ending the game. Her eyes glanced around the board as if looking for an escape, but after not finding one she simply muttered curses under her breath and conceded. She was mentally proud of herself for not flipping the table, because the urge to do so had certainly been there.

"So I want to ask you something," Kamui looked up as she and Corrin stood up.

"Go for it," Corrin nodded. "If you want a rematch though, it might have to wait."

"No, it's not that." Kamui shook her head, "I was more wondering how long you knew about this. How long has my family been trying to find me?"

"I assume they likely went looking for you the moment that you were brought here," Corrin indicated, "and probably eventually just figured that you were in Hoshido. Mother didn't say, but she seemed rather upset."

"I'll be honest," Kamui admitted, "a week in Hoshido is not long enough to want to stay here for the rest of my life, but I really do feel for it here. I want to feel for you and your family the way I do for Camilla and the rest of my siblings in Nohr. I feel like I'm getting pulled two different ways, and it's hard. It's really hard."

"I think I know what would serve you well," Corrin smiled, putting a hand on his sister's shoulder. "You should talk to Mother in the throne room. I think she might be able to clear things up."

"Thanks," Kamui sighed, "you're a lot more level-headed than I thought."

"Not all problems need to be solved with violence," he teased her, "but I do what I can to bring out the best in everyone."

With this farewell, Corrin and Kamui parted ways, with the latter walking cautiously through the halls towards the throne room. She knew she was going the right way the higher up into the castle she got, although when she reached the grand hall that led to the throne room, she felt a lingering presence that she could not really pin down. In a brief moment, she saw flickering illusions of invisible soldiers and monsters, although a couple of blinks and some rapid head-shaking did away with these premonitions. Still, the hallway was empty, and the many side rooms in every direction did not appear to be inhabited at the moment either. Despite the well-lit and brightly-colored environment, there was something about this place that gave Kamui an unexplainable sense of dread.

She cautiously pushed the magnificent throne room doors open, only to find Mikoto perched upon the throne, looking as gentle and harmless as she always did.

"Mother?" she paused, and Mikoto smiled, stepping down from her throne for a moment.

"Kamui," she smiled. "You seem a lot better off now that you've had some time to clear your head. Even then though, you look troubled. What's the matter?"

"I'm… not sure," Kamui shook her head, "for some reason as I came up here, I felt this horrible looming sense of dread, almost as if there was a great evil the gripped this chamber."

"Oh, Kamui, dear…" Mikoto sighed, "it's actually quite the opposite. This is one of the safest places on Ferevs. However, seeing your apprehension makes me wonder… would you humour your dear mother and do her a small favour?"

"Well, that depends on what it is, I guess." Kamui shrugged, curling her toes against the floor.

"It's nothing too difficult." Mikoto smiled, "I would just like to ask you to try sitting on the throne for a moment."

"Mother," Kamui tilted her head, "I know I like to daydream and fantasize when I write books and stuff, but I don't need to sit on Hoshido's throne to appease some sort of grandiose scheme for the Glory of Nohr."

"Kamui," Mikoto actually laughed, "dear, this is hardly anything so absurd. It's more to answer a question of mine I was having. I don't distrust you here."

"Well, what's the reason for it?" Kamui was still a little cautious. She figured that maybe she read into the Nohrian notion of Hoshidan treachery, but she hoped she was just overthinking it.

"The throne is infused with the power of the First Dragons," Mikoto explained, "And it is said that those who sit upon it regain their true form and true mind. In short, I think it might help you see a much bigger picture of what your childhood was like."

"You don't suspect I'm under some kind of Nohrian spell or something do you?"

"I have theorized that there was one that stripped you of your memories in Hoshido. The throne would remove any haze that clouded your mind on the matter. And if I am wrong, then there is no harm done. Nothing ill will befall you from trying."

"But surely you would know of all sorts of Hoshido's trickery," Kamui admitted, "I mean… I trust you… it just seems so odd, and so simple."

"If you do not wish to, I can understand." Mikoto sighed, "Perhaps I am slightly selfish in saying this, but I like the others hope you can stay with us."

"I want to… but I don't want to abandon my family in Nohr either. If there was a way for us to get along…" she approached the throne. "I trust you, Mother. You have done nothing but good for me in the short time we've known each other…"

She sat upon the throne, and to her surprise, two things happened. Kamui lurched forward, falling into her hands and knees before her form warped into a metallic four-legged dragon. The transformation was brief, but when she morphed back into her humanoid form, she stood up and gasped. A clear memory of the day Sumeragi was murdered was now burned into her mind, as well as distant and slightly vague but solid memories of her childhood in Hoshido. Furthermore, fond memories of her tough but rewarding childhood in Nohr returned, as she remembered all of the childhood memories she had made while growing up with Xander, Camilla, Leo, and Elise.

"I… I remember!" she gasped, although there was a contrarian part of her that suspected Hoshido-style trickery from all of this. "King Sumeragi… Cheve… you, I…" she paused, looking at Mikoto, her eyes watering.

"This just makes it harder though!" she cried, throwing her arms around Mikoto. She'd ask about the dragon later. "I saw the incident in Cheve. I saw my childhood take a drastic turn… and while it made me gain a newfound love for Hoshido, it also gave me further love for Nohr. I saw the rest of my childhood; parts I had forgotten or ignored. 15 of my 20 years were spent there, and it makes it difficult for me to want to choose one or the other. Forgive me, mother!"

She understood she belonged here by technicality, but that had not stopped the royal family of Nohr from treating her like one of their own.

"My poor girl…" Mikoto gently embraced the trembling Kamui. "There is nothing to forgive. Corrin has told you about the meeting in Izumo, correct?"

"He has…" Kamui whispered, "and while moments ago I was eagerly looking forward to it, now, I'm suddenly dreading it. That's my day of reckoning, Mother. I'm not ready to handle saying goodbye to someone so soon."

"I'm happy to help ease that burden in any way I can." Mikoto promised. "I love you Kamui. I never wished to make your life hard… I just wanted to see my daughter alive and well again."

Kamui mumbled in acknowledgement, but she still couldn't shake the notion of what she would have to do in the next week or so. She had long since established that family was the center of her life, and she wanted to keep it this way—and wanted both Hoshido and Nohr involved.


	25. Chapter 25: Night Before the Day

**AUTHOR'S NOTES:** _Plot advancement! I understand that the story kind of slowed down once Kamui hit Hoshido, but I did explicitly say in the description that this saga would focus primarily (not solely, however) on character interaction and development, so if people are expecting action-packed fights every chapter, all I can say is "so sorry mans". As such, the last few chapters and most of this one are more of the same foundation-setting I've been doing. Oboro gets a special mention considering that she's one of the four "listed" characters, and we get a bit more 'natural' Corrin-Kamui interaction. Kamui sitting on the Hoshidian throne helped answer some questions, but also spawned new ones in their wake._  
 _Happy Reading!_

 **CHAPTER 25: Night Before the Day**

 _Sing with me a song of Darkness and Light…_

The next few days involved Kamui getting to better know her siblings as well as some of their retainers. In contrast to some of the wacky and secretive retainers her Nohrian siblings had hired, the ones that served Ryoma, Hinoka, Takumi, and Sakura seemed much more 'normal'. Most of them even had noble backgrounds or lineages, something their Nohrian counterparts didn't exactly share. She also ran into an elusive and rather secretive woman named Azura, and while she was able to garner that Azura was Nohrian and brought to Hoshido just as Kamui was Hoshidan and taken to Nohr, she wasn't able to get much else out of her other than that she was an amazingly mesmerizing singer, much like Corrin's retainer Zenzi.

She got along with most of them, and all of them seemed to hold Corrin in even higher regard. The one that bonded the most with her however, was Ryoma's retainer Kagero, to the point where she was the only one that Kamui allowed in her room without having to ask or knock first.

There were only a couple of days before the trip to Izumo, and Kamui spent most of her time sketching or writing when she wasn't out socializing. She let her mind wander, going deep into thought about her life and circumstances. With the recent revelations, she couldn't help but wonder about the dragon form that she had assumed in the throne room, but for some reason, she couldn't really bring herself to ask Mikoto or even Corrin about it.

Late one evening as she was sketching an intense image of a Nohrian maid plunging a dagger into a monster's skull, she heard her door slide open, and knew at once it was Kagero. She turned to face the ninja, and found her holding a book Kamui had not seen before.

"Is that what I think it is?" Kamui grinned ear to ear, excitedly.

" _Dancers and Diviners_ ," Kagero nodded, setting the book on Kamui's desk. "I didn't think I'd like it as much as I did."

"Ah, so you snuck a peek at it then," Kamui smirked.

"I wanted to make sure I knew what you were publishing," Kagero nodded, "although your secret is safe with me. No one but the two of us know who wrote this."

"Not even the publisher? Speaking of which, what was her name?"

"She called herself Anna. So did the other girls that worked there. But no, not even they know—I also don't think they are too concerned. It's apparently rather profitable, which to them was enough."

She tossed a pouch of coins towards Kamui as well, where the purple-haired woman caught it.

"Thanks for all of this, by the way," Kamui smiled. "I'm glad I can confide in you, Kagero."

"It's the least I can do, with Lord Ryoma instructing me to watch you as often as he does," Kagero nodded, "I'm glad to see you enjoying yourself."

"Tell me about it," Kamui picked up the book and nodded in agreement, "I think now it's time to give this a nice good read out in the commons."

"I shall leave you to that then," Kagero nodded, and with the deftness of a ninja, she vanished without a trace. Kamui was still not sure how that worked, but decided not to try and question it at this point. She had seen Kagero and Saizo both do this enough that she just accepted it as something that happened.

The common room was fairly quiet this time of night, which made Kamui that much happier considering that crowds were generally not her thing. Right as she lit a lamp, sat down, and was about to crack the book, a voice startled her to the point of making her jump.

"Lady Kamui… what are you doing out here?"

"Whaaa!" Kamui gasped, "Oboro? What are you doing out here so late?"

"Someone has to clean up around here," Oboro replied, although her tone made Kamui suspicious immediately.

"No," she shook her head, "there's something on your mind. I might be something of an ass, but I don't want my presence to make you uncomfortable."

"The only thing about your presence bugging me is that you're in my way." Oboro asserted.

"Then why are you looking towards the windows and not angrily at me?" Kamui riposted.

"It's nothing a Nohrian should be worried about." Oboro dismissed Kamui's suspicion.

"Oh, I think it has everything to do with my Nohrian history," Kamui suddenly took the defensive. "Look, I'm sorry that I wasn't able to fit in so suddenly after being in Hoshido a week and trying to adjust from 15 years in Nohr." Kamui reasoned, "come clean with me though. If I'm doing something to piss me off, I want to know."

Oboro gave a drawn-out sigh. "It's… it's not you, Lady Kamui. It is about Nohr though. I'm not ready to explain why, but Nohrians, as well as nearly anything about Nohr… it rubs me the wrong way. I don't mean it personally, but just like you say you need time to get your thoughts together, I need some time before I'm willing to share more with you."

"Alright…" Kamui paused, now wondering what Oboro's secret was, "well, I'll try not to get in your way. I'm just going to read this book."

"Very well," Oboro nodded, "Sorry for giving you the stink-eye." She bit her tongue from saying more, but her attitude toward her and towards Nohr had not changed much. The two parted ways, although both were slightly less suspicious of one another after that.

Kamui mused about Oboro as she skimmed through her book. It was decently written; but she knew she could do better. She'd have to rectify that the next time she went to her desk and decided to write another book—whenever that ended up being.

Before she knew it, the day of reckoning had arrived, and the Hoshidan royal family were all making preparations to travel to Izumo. Kamui had not managed to ask Mikoto about the dragon in the throne room, and during the preparations for departure, she knew that Mother would be too busy to answer any questions about it (or so she assumed). She thought about asking Corrin, but there was a streak of competitive pride that she didn't want to have to sacrifice. She'd have to find a way to word it differently.

Since Ryoma and Mikoto were the ones primarily responsible for organizing the trip and keeping people behind to help run the place in their absence, Kamui was able to find her older brother with a little free time on his hands.

"I would have suspected you to stay in your room drawing more pretty pictures until it was time to leave," he commented, "is something on your mind, sister?"

"A few things, actually," she admitted, "so obviously Garon's not my father, which explains a lot about why he hates me more than he hates most people… but, is Mother a dragon by chance? Or for that matter, was Sumeragi a dragon?"

"I know that Mother is not, although Father might have been," Corrin mused aloud, "It's been 15 years, since he died when you were taken from us, and I was too young to ask him."

"Wait, so how do you know Mother's not a dragon?" Kamui's head shifted back to its usual slightly tilted angle, "Did you ask her?"

"Why so curious all of a sudden?" Corrin chuckled, "did you catch me transforming one of these nights or something?"

"Wait… you can transform?" Kamui gawked, immediately thinking of the throne, "how?"

"With this," Corrin brandished a bluish stone. "Azura gave it to me when I first transformed. I was about 10 at the time, and if it weren't for that stone, the primal instincts and urges of the dragon could have very well consumed me." He paused. "Why… can you transform too?"

"I've been called the Dusk Dragon Incarnate by Fa—Garon, before, but I've never transformed in my life." Kamui didn't feel like mentioning the incident at the throne, especially with how brief it was, and that it was not in her control.

"Hmm…" Corrin raised an eyebrow, "maybe you just haven't discovered it yet. I'd talk to Azura about getting a stone if you did, but I guess that's moot at this point, yeah?"

"Makes sense," Kamui played with her hands, "I guess I'm just kind of nervous is all."

"This is about the peace talks, isn't it?"

"Well… yeah. Obviously you probably figured that I'm still leaning towards Nohr, but at the same time, if a war does break out, I don't think I can do it. I will protect my family from any Hoshidan aggression, but I also want to stop any Nohrian aggression against Hoshido. I might not be too good at making friends, but family is the center of my life."

"That's what we're hoping to do though. It's not just about deciding who gets to keep you, Kamui. This is also to hopefully find a way to prevent an all-out war from breaking out."

"Did Hoshido somehow provoke Nohr?" Kamui wondered aloud, "I mean, Nohr has been itching to strike and so it might not have been a valid reason, but do they have any excuse or anything to go off of?"

"This time…" Corrin sighed, "they actually might. I was there when Hinoka, Saizo, and Rinkah helped orchestrate the plan to bring you here. When your enemy fights dirty and has strength that outdoes your own, you have to think of alternatives. That's part of why Hoshido is known more for its roundabout tricks and tactics rather than brute force the way Nohr fights."

"I actually really want to learn some of those someday," Kamui admitted, "but that's beside the point. As… as much as I miss my family back home and am still a bit upset that this all happened against my will… I want to thank you, Corrin. This has been a very insightful journey to me. I just can't abandon my family in Nohr on good conscience."

"I understand." Corrin sighed, "and while I wish you knew what it would mean to Hoshido for us to have that same place in your heart, you're a grown woman, and I'm your brother, not your superior. If Nohr is where you want to go… then we'll make it official in Izumo."

Kamui nodded, but then fell silent for several moments as Corrin glanced around.

"Well, if nothing else," he indicated, "we should meet up with the others. I think that they're probably ready to depart right about now."

Whether it was luck or intuition, Corrin was right, with Mikoto, Ryoma, Hinoka, Takumi, Sakura, and Azura all ready to go.

"So it's just us going then?" Corrin clarified, turning to Mikoto.

"Only the royal family, yes." Mikoto nodded, "While they invited me to accompany you, they explained that King Garon unfortunately could not make it. As such, they have admitted to going to Izumo alone, and so we will do the same. They say it is to be a meeting; not an ambush."

"And how can we trust them?" Takumi's practical skepticism came into play.

"They mentioned the incident with Sumeragi in particular," Mikoto explained, "and said that they do not wish to tarnish Nohr's reputation any further."

Kamui opened her mouth as if to speak but then decided against it. It still gave her some sense of reassurance knowing that that was almost certainly Xander's explanation. That meant that he was there, and that Garon was not likely accompanying them. Still, while that weight was off her chest, Kamui still couldn't help but grow tense at the inevitable meeting between Hoshido and Nohr that was looming over them.


	26. Chapter 26: The Izumo Summit, Part 1

**AUTHOR'S NOTES:** _And here we finally get a taste of some action. Some of the events in this chapter are inspired by certain events in Conquest, but obviously results will vary considering the direction of this story. That said, we finally get to see what happens when Nohr and Hoshido collide before they're allowed to actually kill each other. But then again, even that is going to end up a lot different than it was in the game..._  
 _Happy Reading!_

 **CHAPTER 26: The Izumo Summit, Part 1**

 _Sing with me a song of Magic and Schemes..._

The road to Izumo seemed like it was taking forever, although that was probably most likely just because of how nervous Kamui was. Her heart had already stopped and dropped when she first heard the announcement that there were Nohrians on Hoshido's doorstep, and of course, they were her siblings searching for her. Not only were they searching for her, but they had come to try and negotiate her return.

At this point, Kamui's heart was beating so intensely that she was almost certain that someone could hear her. This conflict was going to escalate because of her, because she knew that it was she, not Corrin, that treaded the dangerous line between Hoshido and Nohr. Azura had treaded it once, but had since made peace with Hoshido at Corrin's side. While Mikoto had made it sound like only Xander was coming, she didn't exactly trust Garon. She believed that Mikoto had accepted what the message had told her, but after the revelations she had gained on the throne, Kamui did not put it above Garon to lie—again. Thus, she wondered who else would be coming, for if the wrong people came with Xander, it would be trouble. Kamui didn't imagine Hans would have any qualms with violating Izumo's nonviolence pact, and if Garon somehow managed to bring him along (or even come along himself) that nothing good would come from it.

Castle Izumo was another sight entirely. This place almost seemed disjointed from the rest of the world with how peaceful it was in contrast to the dangerous and hostile Nohrian regions, or the tension-fraught lands of Hoshido, who always seemed to be ready to bunker down in the event of an attack from their belligerent neighbors that they had been anticipating for years.

Of course, that was not the only thing thrown off upon being greeted. A fabulous man with flowing white hair stood in front of them with an ear-to-ear grin plastered on his face.

"Ahh… the royals from Hoshido have arrived! Welcome! Welcome! Those friends of yours are already inside waiting for you. Lady Mikoto, it's always the pleasure!" He turned towards the queen, who smiled and almost chuckled.

"You know this man?" Corrin tilted his head.

"Do not let his mannerisms throw you off." Mikoto smiled, "For he is a wise and learned individual. Although, I…"

"Hmm?" Corrin raised an eyebrow.

"Never mind it." Mikoto shook her head, "Perhaps even I am slightly anxious is all."

"Well, don't just sit here idling away!" Izana waved his hands, "come in! Do come in! The banquet is already in the preparation stage and your friends from Nohr are already inside and excited to meet their fellow guests!"

Takumi visibly scoffed, and even Kamui was pretty sure that none of the Nohrian royal family members were raring to meet their sworn enemies. She also knew that she was about to get put on the spot as well.

And yet sure enough, there was Xander, Camilla, Leo, and Elise, all dressed rather formally, although surprisingly devoid of their weapons and armor. It seemed that Izana took that nonviolent pact of his rather seriously. Of course, when Ryoma, Hinoka, Takumi, and Sakura caught glimpses of them, both parties immediately began glaring daggers at one another. Kamui was fairly certain she even felt the temperature of the room rise several degrees in a matter of seconds, and she suddenly looked visibly uncomfortable.

"Kamui!" Xander took his eyes off of Ryoma as he looked her over. "You're alive and well. They have not harmed you at all, have they?"

"No," Kamui shook her head, "of course not. They—"

"Kamui, darling," Camilla interrupted her, "thank the gods you're okay. Don't ever leave my sight like that ever again!"

"Stay back, Kamui." Ryoma warned, "they will stop at nothing to steal you back from us again."

"They certainly have experience in that field." Hinoka added.

"And yet my darling Kamui was quite happy living with her family in Nohr." Camilla pointed out without skipping a beat, "After all, there's at least one among you who was stolen from Nohr who seems to much prefer Hoshido, is there not?" Her eyes locked into Azura, who looked down and took a step back. Regardless of who was on whose side, Camilla had a point.

"And yet none of that would have happened if Nohr hadn't stolen Kamui in the first place!" Hinoka argued, "Nohrian logic at its finest, I see."

"Speak ill of Nohr again, princess..." Xander's gaze turned to her. "And so help me…"

"You really desire to see my blade at your throat, don't you?" Ryoma actually drew out the Raijinto, causing Xander to raise his hands, for he was unarmed.

"Do it," he almost taunted Ryoma, "I dare you."

"Wouldn't that be a sight," Leo quipped, "Hoshido becoming the aggressor—the very thing they claimed to want to stop."

"Just give us back our sister and no one has to fight anyone!" Elise reasoned.

"She's got a twin brother born in Hoshido!" Takumi pointed out, "just because you Nohrian scum stole her doesn't mean you own her!"

Kamui glanced towards Takumi, about to open her mouth in support. The idea that she was not something to be owned, be it by Hoshido or by Nohr, was one that she staunchly supported. However, Izana, who had been whispering oddly comforting things to Sakura at the moment, stood up and raised his voice.

"Whoa!" Ryoma, Xander, Camilla, and Hinoka all froze as he shouted. "Whoa! I mean seriously, guys. Whoa, whoa, whoa! In the name of Izumo I command you to stop this violence and threats of violence at once! You may be at war, but as long as you're under my roof, you're going to play by MY rules. Luckily for you all, my rules are actually pretty fun. Now, now, Hoshidans… I'm going to have to ask for your weapons just like I did from the Nohrians. If you want to stab and eviscerate each other to your hearts' content after leaving here then by all means be my guest, but while you're in my lands there will be none of this bloodshedding nonsense."

"...fine," Ryoma sighed, as he led his family by example by turning over his katana. Hinoka followed suit, followed by Sakura, and lastly, Takumi. "As a fellow ruler, I will respect your law."

"Our blades are stayed," Xander warned, for it was clear that with their nice semi-formal attire that they were not armed (unless Camilla had a knife strapped to her thigh or something, which Kamui would not put above her), "but don't expect us to let our guards down. I do not need a weapon to kill any of you, and neither does Camilla. Our sister can attest to that."

Kamui turned red, but nodded. "They're right…" she admitted, turning to Ryoma, "but please… no aggression today, alright? I don't want to be some prize to be fought over."

She paused, and turned to her Nohrian kin, "and I wish to say the same to you. We're here to resolve this peacefully."

"Speaking of peacefully…" Takumi looked around, but it was Sakura who spoke.

"Hey! Where'd Mother go? She was just here a moment ago." It did suddenly seem odd that she was so quiet during this whole argument.

"We've been seated the whole time you've been here," Leo pointed out, "don't you Hoshidans dare try to pin this crime on us."

"There they are!" a voice shouted, "seize them!"

It was unclear who they were talking about, but suddenly, everyone in the room was restrained by soldiers, although only the ones holding the Hoshidans made further moves, where they bound the hands of Ryoma, Hinoka, Takumi, Sakura, Corrin, and even Azura.

"What the… unhand me!" Ryoma commanded.

"It's another Nohrian trap!" Hinoka screamed, "Just like the one they used against our father!"

"As Crown Prince of Nohr, I demand you release me at once!" Xander demanded, taking notice of Izana as more of his men came in to restrain and silence the Hoshidans from speaking. "What are you playing at, Izana? You just finished saying that violence was forbidden here!"

"Ah, but that's the thing!" Izana grinned. "I am not actually Izana!"

With a twirl and poof of smoke, "Izana" had vanished, and a scrawny, sleazy little man took his place, grinning and giggling.

"Zola!" Xander recognized this slimeball immediately. "Explain yourself!"

"Whew!" he sighed, dramatically wiping his brow, "it feels SO GOOD to finally be myself again. It was so hard trying to pretend to be that twit of an archduke for so long. I even had to disarm you guys just to make the act as perfect as it was!"

"Where is the real archduke Izana?" Xander demanded. "What have you done with him?" He and his siblings were only released after the Hoshidan royal family had been silenced and dragged away. A magical barrier appeared around them (likely Zola's work) which allowed them to witness what was happening around them, but all of them were powerless to act against it.

"He's locked away with dear Lady Mikoto!" Zola cackled, "and I'm sure after I've dealt with that and knocked a bit of sense back into King Garon's finest, that he'll be thrilled to have Prince Ryoma and his family as company in his ungodly prison cell! Hahaha!"

"Not on our watch!" Kamui asserted. "This can't be the Nohrian way, Xander."

"It's not!" Xander growled. "Zola, if you so much as lay a finger on any of them while we draw breath, that breath of yours will be your last!"

"Oh, bores." Zola blew a raspberry, "I suppose I'll just have to deal with you lot as well then. I'll just have to inform Garon that the infamous Hoshidan treachery got to your heads and you were too late to be saved. But without a royal family to lead them, King Garon will be able to march through Hoshido and claim it as his own! Perhaps he'll even grant me a new title up there with Lord Iago! Well, maybe I shouldn't fantasize too early when I still have some death sentencing to do. So if you'll excuse me… soldiers! Seize them! Spare them if they come to their senses, but if they don't, do what you must!" With a twirl and a poof of smoke, he vanished, although he was nearby. The actions of the Nohrian royals would determine a lot about what he would do to the Hoshidans, and the five of them gathered closer as the soldiers closed in on them.

"What are we going to do, big brother?" Elise sounded concerned.

"We're going to show Hoshido the new Nohrian way…" he declared, "Camilla?"

"With pleasure, darling." Camilla cooed, approaching the nearest would-be attacker. "Now, now, dear…" she cooed, "I understand that I might have overreacted… but I would really not like being put to death. I'll inform Zola that I'll be happy to help him execute the Hoshidans myself."

There were audible gasps from Camilla's siblings (except Xander), the loudest being from Kamui. Even the Hoshidans behind the barrier gasped.

Camilla put her hands on the sides of the man's head and leaned in. "I would never lie to you, darling…" she moved as if she was about to give him a lucky kiss, but suddenly jerked her hands so violently that everyone in the room heard his neck snap. Immediately, Camilla kicked the corpse aside, seized his sword, and tossed it to Xander.

"The new Nohrian way!" she grinned, clenching her fists as Xander stepped forward.

"We will not stand for Zola's treachery!" Xander warned the soldiers, "We will negotiate with Hoshido the proper way!"

Kamui sighed in relief as the soldiers started to back away when Xander pointed his newly acquired sword at them.

"And as such," he spoke mostly to Kamui, although may have purposely been in the Hoshidans' earshot, "we will free our sworn enemy."


	27. Chapter 27: The Izumo Summit, Part 2

**AUTHOR'S NOTES:** _And here's the actual fight. There is going to be a lot of Camilla in this chapter and the ones following it. There's a reason she's listed as one of the main characters of this story after all, and so those who don't like her or my portrayal of her, I guess "so sorry mans"? Anyhoo, I'm also aware that Zola is much less of a sleazy little bastard in Birthright, but since this is Revelation (and inspired by a chapter in Conquest), we get to see him at his worst._  
 _Happy Reading!_

 **CHAPTER 27: The Izumo Summit, Part 2**

 _Sing with me a song of Violence and Peace..._

"Why are you doing this?!" They could hear Zola shouting from wherever he was hiding himself, "These Hoshidans are your enemies, not me! This is all for the glory of Nohr! Why is this happening? WHY!?"

"The Glory of Nohr will be the reformation this family will bring to the country when we are through here!" Xander announced.

"So anyone who wants to die or surrender, step right up!" Camilla licked her lips.

"And anyone who doesn't want to die or surrender…" Kamui cracked her knuckles, "TOO BAD!"

"Brother," Leo and Elise were both standing very close to Xander as the soldiers, who vastly outnumbered the five royals, closed in a lot more cautiously this time, "Only you are armed, and with the exception of maybe Kamui, I don't think any of us can fight too well with just our fists."

Kamui and Camilla glanced around to see any magic users around them.

"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" Kamui smirked.

"After you, darling," Camilla cooed, knowing that Kamui was not afraid to start smashing right through the ranks. She did exactly that, with Camilla tailing her so that no one came and stabbed her in the back. Their bold and sudden moves caught a few enemies off guard just enough for the two women to steal their weapons. This was when the massacre began. They started cutting down soldiers left and right, while Xander defended his younger siblings. The Hoshidans watched the brutal massacre take place in front of them, and were surprised when they lived up to their word of keeping their "sworn enemy" safe. It only intensified after Camilla and Kamui snatched up a couple of powerful magic tomes, throwing them to Leo, who caught them both and handed one to Elise. This only made things get a whole lot more violent as the siblings worked together with remarkable synergy to take down their adversaries, even if they were using mundane standard-issue iron swords and fire tomes to do so.

It soon became clear that this was essentially going to become a curbstomp battle. Zola's soldiers were no match for the ferocity of the Nohrian siblings. It seemed their harsh training regimens had paid off. Kamui seemed to be fighting the fiercest, motivated to save the Hoshidans the same way she had been motivated against Xander and Camilla when she learned that besting them would lead to her being able to leave the Northern Fortress. While she spared anyone willing to surrender, those who did not throw down their weapons were slaughtered with no mercy and no remorse. Her siblings were no different, and all in all it became a rather grizzly display with blood everywhere, among other things.

"It's over, Zola!" Xander shouted, "release the prisoners or make your peace!"

"Always getting in my way for glory, aren't you?" Zola sighed as he appeared. "Fine… take your stupid prisoners. I'll live another day to help bring Nohr its glory!"

Zola fled the castle and then vanished, causing the barrier around the Hoshidans to dissipate. It seemed to be connected to his presence, and perhaps there had been something in the castle preventing him from just leaving on the spot.

"Do you think he's going to tell Father?" Kamui turned to Xander.

"Tell him what? That he wasted an entire unit of soldiers trying to betray the royal family?" Xander scoffed, "He's a sleazy little liar, and my word holds far more weight with Father than his."

"Furthermore," Leo reasoned, "the rest of us are witnesses to the event. The truth can defend itself against Zola's lies and treachery."

"Well then," Kamui sighed, "let's free the others and get this mess cleaned up."

Surprisingly, the Nohrian family freed their Hoshidan brethren without hesitation, albeit with little fanfare as well. Immediately, the five of them went back to work cleaning up the mess they had made while Xander went to find Izana and Mikoto.

"You Nohrians certainly know how to put on a show," Corrin quipped as Kamui unbound him as the others rose back to their feet.

"We did what we had to," Kamui shrugged, "I told you there was a schism going on in Nohr."

"Unless of course this was just an act with expendable citizens to try and bolster your reputation a cut above the usual violence." Takumi warned.

"Darling, if they were truly in on whatever your so-called conspiracy was, they would have all accepted surrendering when we offered it," Camilla retorted, "Nohr is much more straightforward than that. We save the trickery and deceit for Hoshido to do."

"How dare you!" Hinoka growled, "This all happened because of one of YOUR underlings! You should be apologizing to us, not looking for a pat on the back!"

"My, my…" Camilla put a bloodied hand to her chin, "perhaps we should have left their mouths bound a bit longer."

"No… they have rights to be suspicious of us," Kamui admitted, "but it's not our fault. You cannot blame us all for the acts of one vile worm."

"I don't want to sound like I'm turning against you too," Corrin warned, "but do you think you might be putting too much trust in Nohr?"

He was almost cut short by Camilla, still in her blood-smattered dress, who got right in his face, almost touching her nose to his.

"If you're suspecting any foul play between my sister and myself… I can and will promptly correct it." she stated. She was about to go on before Kamui took her hand.

"Camilla…" she began.

"Don't 'Camilla' me, darling…" Camilla pouted as Kamui pulled her out of Corrin's face. "Anyone who threatens my bond with you will be dealt with… and as much as I lament the blood ruining my beautiful dress, I'm not afraid to spill a little more on it at this point."

"Camilla, please." Kamui tightened her grip on Camilla's wrist, "you know me; I'm not the happy peaceful shrine maiden on the mountain or anything here… but that's my brother."

Before much else could be said, however, Ryoma spoke up.

"Enough!" He mostly directed this at his own siblings, but also to Kamui and Camilla. "We are… thankful that you saved our lives. I will accept your story that none of you were involved in this setup until I find evidence proving the contrary. In the meantime, know that were this situation reversed, that Hoshido would have done the same. As such, we see no need to express further gratitude for your actions."

"My, my, but aren't you the responsible one?" Camilla glanced towards Ryoma, licking her lips.

"As High Prince of Hoshido, it is my duty to help reflect the behaviour of my kingdom in anticipation of taking the throne someday." Ryoma stated with a stoic expression, though both Corrin and Kamui were fairly certain his eyes faltered for a moment onto parts of Camilla's figure. "We are here for a civil peace talk, just as promised. I will not blame any of you for your father's atrocities against our father and King, provided you offer us the same respect."

"Oh, there's so much more than just respect I can offer." Camilla cooed.

"Camilla are you flirting?!" Kamui gawked.

"I was simply referring to honor, silly," Kamui was fairly certain Camilla was lying, "this is a man who has held his tongue unlike the rest of his barbaric siblings. I honestly commend it. He's a better man than I am in that regard."

"Now, now, you lovely people…" a voice interrupted them. Heads turned to see both Mikoto and Izana, who were both unharmed, and were led by a triumphant (but bloodstained) Xander. "Everyone important is safe and well, and the bad guys are deader than dead. I do wish you hadn't made such a nasty mess in my beautiful waiting room, but you did save me and my beautiful hair, so I owe you that much of a thank, royal family of Nohr!"

"We were just acting as Nohrian Royals should," Xander reasoned. "We do not wish to tarnish the glorious name of Nohr any further by perpetuating our father's violent ways-or by slaying our enemies through cowardice and backhanded tactics." He trailed off, almost as if he knew Izana would cut him off if he continued.

"Well, that's wonderful and such. Like I said beforehand, there will be none of your silly violence nonsense in my house… unless you're saving me again. But I don't exactly plan on letting that happen either. Anyways, you Nohrians should get cleaned up. That banquet is almost ready and we don't exactly want to get blood all over everything, no?"

"An excellent point." Xander concurred, and they found a few side rooms to get changed in. Kamui was slightly surprised when Camilla joined her, but the two had changed together many times in the past, usually when Camilla took her to a spring.

"I don't like them," she told Kamui as she began undoing her dress, "But I don't like anyone trying to separate us, darling."

"They're not that bad, but I'm genuinely torn," Kamui stripped down to her smallclothes as well, as Camilla stepped out of her dress, making sure it didn't snag on her heels, which she still had on. "I'm not really an idealist, but after being with them, I do kind of wish there was a way for us to coexist together with them."

"Have I been ousted as your favourite sister?" Camilla pouted.

"Camilla, don't even do that," Kamui was already pulling a new dress on (although unlike Camilla, she was not wearing shoes). "I hate to see a grown woman pouting in her underwear."

"You must not realize just how much I truly missed you," Camilla asserted, putting her hand under Kamui's left jawbone and caressing it, "I spent so many years of my life being with you, darling. Perhaps I'm possessive, but I play for keepsies."

Kamui sighed. She knew that Camilla was the closest thing she ever had to a mother figure before Mikoto, but Camilla was also an awesome older-sister figure that Kamui did not want to lose from her life.

"I'm shooting for these to be actual peace talks," Kamui insisted, "Hoshido has a lot of ammunition that they can rightfully use against us, but like Xander, I refuse to handle Nohr the way they do. I do not want to take sides against my families, but I feel like if bad comes to worse, I will side with Nohr."

"That's my girl…" Camilla shamelessly swept Kamui off her feet and buried her face into her ample breasts. Kamui couldn't help but laugh when she was released, although it was also somewhat awkward.

"You know I hate when you do that," Kamui shook her hair out of her face, "sister, please put some clothes on."

"I was distracted," Camilla reasoned, as she pulled her new dress on, "you do realize you're stuck with me forever, right, sister?"

"Well yeah," Kamui reasoned, "but do you really need to baby me the way you do?"

"Yes." Camilla replied almost too swiftly. Kamui was at a loss for words for a second.

"I… you know what? I can't argue that." She knew that despite how awkward others might have viewed it, that she had a unique bond with this woman in particular. Camilla was an embodiment of everything Kamui remembered about her childhood, and while some of their interactions had given birth to a few odd quirks in the pointy-eared princess, Kamui simply embraced these eccentricities and moved on, not caring what detractors might say, for better or worse.

"Well then," Camilla straightened her dress, "let's meet up at the banquet hall."

Kamui followed Camilla out, and back into the banquet hall. The discussions that would go down here would likely determine her fate-both for Hoshido and Nohr.


	28. Chapter 28: The Princess and the Queen

**AUTHOR'S NOTES:** _Part of the whole purpose of this entire "diversion" bit in Hoshido was to give a little more character to Mikoto so that her death would hold at least a little more weight. This bit in Izumo has a 2nd purpose behind it that we'll likely get to in the next chapter or two, but for now, our friends from Hoshido and Nohr can finally sit down and talk peace instead of have to curbstomp an army of would-be kidnappers. As always I welcome feedback, and to those with questions, I encourage you to make accounts so that I can answer said questions more effectively without having to resort to author notes._  
 _Either way, Happy Reading!_

 **CHAPTER 28: The Princess and the Queen**

 _Sing with me a song of Mother and Child...  
_

The tension in the banquet hall between the two families was thick enough that Kamui was fairly certain she could cut it with a knife. Azura, Corrin, and the four Hoshidan princes and princesses were seated on one side of the table, while Xander, Leo, and Elise were seated across from them, with open seats clearly intended for her and Camilla. Archduke Izana sat at the head of the table, and next to him (on the "Hoshidan" side) sat Mikoto, who seemed the calmest of the people there, barring perhaps Camilla.

"For those of you who do not know," Xander stood up after a few moments of silence, "The Kingdom of Nohr has called this meeting for a few simple but necessary purposes. Firstly, we have come to negotiate regarding the fate of the Nohrian Princess Kamui. Secondly, we wish to find ways to settle the differences between our nations. While I understand that our Father has resorted to many deplorable actions against Hoshido, my efforts as Crown Prince of Nohr include trying to restore Nohr's former reputation. I understand it will not be easy and I do not expect your acceptance immediately, but cooperation between our two nations would save a great amount of time, energy, resources, and most importantly, lives on both sides."

"Well then," Hinoka spoke first, "you could start by giving us our sister back."

"Oh?" Camilla retorted almost immediately, "So should we be asking for *our* sister back too?" She cocked her head towards Azura. Azura raised her eyebrows in response, but did not open her mouth.

"Nohr has wronged our kingdom many times, Prince Xander," Ryoma warned, "And while Queen Mikoto and I are willing to cooperate, you must understand that Hoshido cannot simply put Nohr's war crimes in the past and forgive and forget."

"Is it truly a fair demand though?" Leo piped up. "Kamui is not a token to be bartered with. Her say on who she wishes to spend her life with should be primarily her decision."

"And likewise, so should Azura's." Corrin added, "but even then, Hinoka has a point. Another apology in some form besides words would be a good way to start out repairing the damages between Hoshido and Nohr, especially after the whole incident in the waiting room just now."

"That is a further example of what I wish to purge from Nohr," Xander asserted, "Worms like Zola will be weeded out and dealt with accordingly. Nohr has its problems, but we do not wish for Hoshido to be one of them."

"But will King Garon listen to reason?" Ryoma addressed a valid concern.

"That will be our kingdom's primary focus," Xander reassured them. "He has not been himself. He has not been himself for many years, I feel like."

This was a new attitude for Xander to have. Sakura silently mused that it might have been a slight side-effect of Mikoto's barrier (since Izumo was beyond said barrier), but she said nothing on the matter.

"What do you mean?" Elise blurted out, "he's always kind of been like that, at least since Kamui came to live with us, right?"

"Yes, Elise…" Xander groaned, "that is that I and many others are trying to get to the bottom of."

"Whatever his motives, I don't trust him." Hinoka warned, "especially not after what happened 15 years ago with *our* father, and our sister."

"That is an atrocious act that even I have difficulty forgiving," Ryoma agreed. "Whatever curse King Garon put on her to wipe her memories only made it worse."

"And then whatever they brainwashed her into believing after that day," Hinoka tag-teamed this debate with Ryoma rather effectively.

"So what do you want from us, darling?" Camilla chimed in, "remember—out of everyone here barring an unconscious Kamui, I was the only one that was there in Cheve when it all happened. Do you want the truth of what happened on that fateful evening?"

There was silence as all eyes, including Leo, Elise, and even Kamui, were on Camilla. She licked her lips.

"Kamui was terrified;" she began, "understandingly so considering that she had no clue where she was. All Father told me was that I had a new baby sister. That's all my 8-year-old self felt like worrying at the time. So, I did what any good big sister would do and made her feel welcomed and loved. I did not need to brainwash Kamui. None of us did. I simply treated her like I treat the rest of my family—and I love my family more than anything. Kamui did the rest."

Eyes suddenly locked onto Kamui, who glanced down at her lap.

"She's right, really," she admitted, "Camilla has her quirks; so do I, possibly because of her, but a lot of what shaped me into the woman I am today was because of her, and I owe her at least that much in return."

"She's obsessed with you," Corrin pointed out, "it's honestly a little unnerving."

Under the table, Kamui seized Camilla's hand, squeezing it as if to give her a silent indication that she would do the talking here.

"I'm not the type to mince words," Kamui clarified, "if I don't like something, I'll let the person annoying me know. Camilla's antics neither bother nor offend me."

"Back on topic," Xander interrupted them, "We are risking our lives by daring to ask to oppose our Father's will. We will attempt to negotiate with him, but there is only so much we can do in that regard. Thus, that is the best we can offer at this time, unfortunately."

"There's validity in his words, brother," Corrin turned to Ryoma. "Regardless of Kamui's choice, I think it would benefit both parties if we avoided the war."

"And what does Lady Mikoto say about all of this?" Camilla cooed, "I presume that you still wield the authority in Hoshido, do you not?"

"Ryoma speaks well in my stead," Mikoto explained, "however, my stance is remarkably simple. I desire for Kamui to remain with me the same way you do. However, I understand that she is a grown woman and is therefore fully capable of making her own decisions."

Incidentally, this seemed to strike a chord with Camilla, who, despite her own motherly tendencies, understood that this woman was definitely Kamui's mother. Mikoto seemed to notice the gears turning in the lavender-haired princess' mind as well.

"Would you not go to all ends of the earth to try and rescue a lost child?" she asked.

"I would," Camilla nodded, "although if what you say is true, how come you never tried coming for my darling Kamui?"

"Had it been only me and her, I would have laid down my life for her safety," Mikoto asserted, "but the Queen of Hoshido waltzing into Nohr would be suicidal, and I had my remaining five children to consider as well. We devised numerous schemes to try and take her back without any bloodshed, but until recently, we clearly had no success."

"I am intrigued as to how you pulled her from under our noses," Camilla looked amused, "although more than anything I am relieved to see that she is safe." she paused. "If I may, Lady Mikoto… may I have a moment alone with you?"

This unsurprisingly turned heads, with even Xander and Kamui giving her skeptical looks. Sakura actually audibly gasped; Hinoka's expression was incredulous; Takumi was staring like a slack-jawed village idiot; and Ryoma and Corrin were both shocked and somewhat wary at Camilla's audacity. However, Mikoto proceeded to one-up Camilla and shock everyone else in the room further by agreeing.

"Aye; a moment, Archduke, if we may?" she turned to Izana as Camilla rose to her feet.

"If you need a little quiet place that isn't all covered in blood and weapons," Izana explained, "I'd try the room just down the hall; 3rd door in the right. You can't miss it!"

"We will only be a moment," Camilla promised, but that did not stop everyone in the room from fixating their glances at her and Mikoto as the two women left the banquet hall and found the room Izana mentioned. Despite being dimly lit in contrast to the grand feasting hall, it was cozy and inviting, as the queen and the princess seated themselves across from each other.

"I am curious," Mikoto said softly, keeping eye contact with Camilla, "what did you wish to speak to me about that could not be said in front of the others?"

"A few things, actually," Camilla began, "and I mainly didn't want any interruptions, be they from your side or mine. Firstly… I want to speak to you about King Sumeragi, and the night Kamui came to us in Nohr."

"What do you know of that?" Mikoto looked alarmed but more curious than anything, "you must have been a young child at the time of the event."

"15 years ago I would have been 8," Camilla nodded, "so I was young, yes; but I was also old enough to remember it. While the guards and retainers on both sides stayed back when my Father and your husband met, Kamui was at Sumeragi's side, and I stood at Garon's side. I was there, Lady Mikoto. I watched it happen… and I can only imagine the heartache it must have caused you."

"So why…" Mikoto whispered, "Why are you telling me this?"

"Because it reminded me of my own childhood," Camilla answered, "The princes and princesses you see in that banquet hall are not even half of King Garon's children. All but Xander were born of ambitious concubines who essentially used us as pawns to try and gain the king's favour. Soon it was just me and my three siblings who remained. I thought of Leo. I thought of Elise. When Kamui was brought to me, I thought of her too. I know what it is like to not have that motherly presence in your life."

"Camilla…" Mikoto sighed, taking the Nohrian's hand and enveloping it in her own hands, "I think I understand where you are coming from now."

"I only wish for you to understand where my doting comes from," Camilla reasoned, "I want Kamui at my side. I want to keep her as my own. None of this stems from personal greed, and now having gotten to know you, I certainly don't wish to keep her from her mother, either."

"It is a choice that she will need to make," Mikoto concurred, "but I feel for you, Princess Camilla. You wished to give her the life you never had."

"I'm surprised that you are not angrier at me," Camilla admitted, "Here I am acting possessive over your daughter, wanting to keep her for my own. I cannot imagine the level of wrath I would display if someone attempted to do that with one of my children."

"I understand your motives," Mikoto smiled, "and understand that you are a good person. More than that, I see a beautiful woman whose life dream is to have a family—most likely a very large one; am I correct?"

Camilla closed her eyes, as if letting her mind wander. "I yearn for that above all else." she whispered, "I am cruel to my enemies because I am protective of those I love."

"So what do you wish from me?" Mikoto asked. She tried to help people when she could (hence her magnificent reputation across Hoshido) and figured that Camilla was reasonable enough to not say something outlandish. Camilla's response still caught her off-guard nonetheless.

"If Kamui elects to return to Hoshido," Camilla declared, "I wish to accompany her."

Mikoto actually raised her eyebrows in surprise. However, it was then her turn to surprise Camilla in return with her response.

"I will attempt to arrange it." she agreed, "Obviously it still depends on Kamui's decision as to where she wishes to live, but I feel that your presence at Kamui's side could actually be mutually beneficial to both Hoshido and Nohr, even if it cannot be permanent."

"I understand it cannot be permanent," Camilla nodded, but then raised an eyebrow, "but how do you figure this benefits both our kingdoms?"

"There are rumors going around," Mikoto began, "rumors of a Nohrian spy or traitor. I am certain they are connected to Kamui, and I wish to put those fears to rest. Even if Kamui chooses to return to Nohr, I will make the request to bring her to Hoshido for a short time only to help dispel those rumors—and if I am permitted, the offer to allow you to accompany her stands."

"Well then," Camilla stood up, "I suppose we should present these propositions to the others. There's little point to counting our hens before they hatch, after all."

"Indeed," Mikoto rose to her feet as well, smiling. "Princess Camilla?"

"Hmm?" Camilla turned around as she headed for the door.

"Thank you." Mikoto smiled. "Thank you for your remarks."

"No," Camilla chortled sweetly, "thank you."

Smiles were exchanged alongside mutual understanding as Mikoto and Camilla made their way back into the banquet hall to deliver their news.


	29. Chapter 29: Gifts From Izumo

**AUTHOR'S NOTES:** _Some might call a certain event in this chapter a mistake; I see it as an opportunity. There were ulterior motives as to why I took people to Izumo after all, and one of the big ones is also explained here. That said, those who are worrying about Corrin's role will not need to worry much longer. I hinted earlier that Corrin is more of a leader and tactician, and that Kamui is more of a fighter. Act III will capitalize on these traits of theirs in due time._  
 _Happy Reading!_

 **CHAPTER 29: Gifts from Izumo**

 _Sing with me a song of Sisters and Choice…_

In Camilla and Mikoto's absence, there had not been much done in the way of determining where Kamui would end up, because the subject of conversation had been derailed into wondering what the princess and the queen were talking about in private. There were intrigued expressions across the table as they watched Mikoto and Camilla calmly take their seats again, seemingly happier now than they had been when they had left the room.

"So what was all that about, Mother?" Corrin asked. "Have you met her before?"

"No," Mikoto shook her head, "but she was the last one to see my husband… and it was somewhat comforting to hear what she had to say. The rest of the discussion was just family matters; nothing too important."

Xander and Kamui had both been about to ask Camilla the same question. She seemed to realize this, and so replied before they could even open their mouths.

"That's more or less how it happened," she chuckled, "Lady Mikoto is not one to lie."

Maybe it was more effects of the magic from crossing the barrier into Hoshidan territory (which may have also explained the Nohrians' sudden drive for peace), or maybe it was something else entirely. Whatever the case, Camilla fully believed Mikoto's words to be true. There didn't appear to be anything suspicious about her tone or behaviour either, and thus Xander and the others believed her words.

"So what did the two of you conclude?" Ryoma asked, "has progress been made in this regard?"

"A lot hinges upon whether Kamui chooses to return to Hoshido or Nohr," Mikoto explained. "Has she decided?" She did not mean to put the pressure back on Kamui, but the girl's face dropped immediately after the question was posed.

"I…" Kamui shrank as she felt nearly a dozen pairs of eyes fixate on her. "I wish to return to…" she was clearly stressing about giving an answer, knowing that half of the people in the room would likely be angry at her decision.

"If I have to choose," she began desperately wringing her hands, "I want to return to… Nohr. Please nobody get mad at me!" she hunched over and buried her face in her hands, trembling both literally and as she imagined the faces of her Hoshidan kin right now. In Kamui's defense, they did look rather upset, even if none of them spoke for several moments.

"So it shall be then." Mikoto was the one to finally diffuse the situation as she spoke up. "However, I would like to make one final request, if I may?"

Kamui gingerly looked up at Mikoto, trying to steel herself and hide a redness in her eyes.

"There were rumors spreading after your arrival," Mikoto explained, "that Nohr sent you on purpose as a spy or a traitor. Now obviously I do not believe such rumours any more than you or any of your siblings do, but it would mean a lot both to me and my countrymen if you were to attend with me as to clear all of that up."

"How long would that take?" Kamui looked at her curiously.

"At the most, only a few days," Mikoto explained, "Obviously I would also want to say my goodbyes, and I will without a doubt miss you, but you're a grown woman, and the decision of where you wish to live, and where you wish to spend your life are decisions that are yours to make. Just know that no matter your choices, I will still always love you."

Kamui frowned but nodded, and then turned to Xander.

"We can stay close, should anything happen," Xander reassured her, "Although I do not suspect treachery at this point. It would be more of a precaution, should something go wrong."

"And I will be coming with you anyways, darling." Camilla grinned. Since no one in the room except Mikoto knew this plan, everyone-including Xander, Ryoma, Corrin, and Kamui-all looked flabbergasted.

"It's true," Mikoto silenced the crowd before any of them could start objecting. "I agreed to allow Princess Camilla to accompany Kamui."

"And for what purpose?" Ryoma cast his glance from Kamui to Camilla to Mikoto. "Would that not make people more suspicious of Kamui's behaviour and intentions?"

"To serve as a further reminder that regardless of Nohr's actions, that Hoshido will remain friendly and hospitable," Mikoto explained, "as such, I want all of my children to treat Princess Camilla as a respected guest while she is within our castle walls."

This was not exactly met with enthusiasm by anyone. Takumi and Hinoka seemed the most grudgingly opposed to it, Sakura seemed to be okay with the notion, while Corrin looked intrigued. Ryoma's action was very difficult to decipher, and Kamui was oblivious to the fact that Camilla winked at him. Ryoma seemed to notice, but apart from briefly raising an eyebrow he did not react at all.

"I take it you know what you're doing, mother." Takumi sighed, "I don't think I can trust a Nohrian as easily as you can."

"Easing the tensions between your two nations has to start somewhere," Izana spoke up, "which reminds me: I have a few things I want to give certain members of your families. Now I'm not saying you should use them to go and make a mess of each other the way you made a mess of my reception hall, but I figure that the members of the royal families are worthy of taking these relics from a bygone age and putting them to some use. They're sure better off in your hands in collecting dust on one of my shelves."

Izana rose to his feet and disappeared down one of his many hallways, only to return a few minutes later with weapons in his hands. The first item he pulled out was a large golden tome.

"Princess Elise," he spoke up, "this is for you. Rexaura: Light Magic of the highest order. It was used by a powerful light mage centuries ago-and now it belongs to you!"

"Oh, wow!" Elise took the tome and gazed at it, slightly mesmerized (and slightly oblivious to Leo peeking at it over her shoulder). "It's beautiful! Thanks, Izana!"

"You're very welcome!" Izana beamed, "No point in letting the princes have all the fun now, is there? Speaking of which, Sakura, dear? I've got something for you."

"Oh?" Sakura stood up, timidly approaching Izana as he pulled out a magnificent red tome.

"A little empress once used this tome;" he began, "Cymbeline: dangerously powerful fire magic for someone with a calm demeanor and a level head."

"B-but what if I can't keep a level head?" Sakura voiced her concern.

"Ideally none of you will ever need to use these weapons at all!" Izana laughed, "but Sakura, my lovely little friend, if you need further reassurance, I have this for you."He handed her a silver necklace with a small pale blue stone in the center. Sakura tried it on.

"What does it do?" Sakura didn't suspect malicious intent, but she was still curious.

"It will help you keep a level head, even if those around you do not." Izana's words sounded a little more cryptic this time, but as far as anyone else knew, he was just trying to assure little Sakura that she'd be alright. Whatever the case, it worked.

"Thank you so much!" she sighed with relief, "for the charm and for the tome. This… this looks like really intense magic. Not really what I'm used to, but I can still handle it… I-I think." She much preferred scrolls to tomes, but she was not by any means ungrateful for Izana's gift.

"This next one…" Izana brandished a massive lance, "is suitable for a certain warrior princess."

Hinoka's eyes were following the lance with great interest, while Camilla watched Hinoka's hungry expression with amusement.

"Princess Hinoka!" Izana invited her to claim her gift, "I offer you the Wishblade: a mighty lance for the sentinel of Hoshido. I'm sure you can probably figure out more about it than I can. Trying to remember all the secrets of history can be difficult, you know!"

"I am honored," Hinoka gave a respectful half-bow, "More… more than I can put into words. I hope you know what I mean."

"Oh, no worries, love;" Izana used the term lightly, "I gathered from your body language that you're quite excited to possess such a mighty weapon."

"Y-yeah… I am." Hinoka almost looked guilty, but she wasn't about to turn down a gift like this. "Thank you again, Archduke Izana…"

"And lastly…" Izana smirked, turning towards Camilla. At this point everyone kind of figured she would be the last recipient of a gift this evening, considering Izana's earlier words, "Alondite: a mighty blade once wielded by a deadly warrior clad in black-a suitable weapon for the black princess of Nohr, wouldn't you say?" he brandished a silver greatsword.

"While normally I'm partial to axes," Camilla rose to her feet to claim the weapon, giving it a few practice swings away from everyone, "I couldn't say no to a gift this wonderful if I tried. And to say that I am grateful for this marvellous weapon would be an understatement, Archduke."

"I figured you would like it." Izana grinned. "And while I do apologize to the wonderful princes of Hoshido and Nohr, it's worth reminding them of their magnificent sacred weapons they already possess, right?"

There was a muttering of consensus between the four princes as their sisters returned to their seats admiring their new weapons.

"Now, with that said and done," Izana continued, "let's finish up here, and then you all should get some rest. It seems you solved your issues for the time being, which is always good! Just remember: you're always welcome in Izumo as long as you keep those weapons of yours safely stowed away, right?"

"Of course," Mikoto smiled. "Thank you, Archduke Izana. You have been abundantly hospitable to my children and I, as well as to the family of Nohr. I understand that it is not Izumo's responsibility to solve Hoshido and Nohr's problems, but I wish to thank you for the assistance and welcome that you provided us all."

"Like I said," Izana beamed, "any time! Well, y'know; except when there's violence and stuff."

The two families settled across the hall from one another, divided into (mostly) pairs: Mikoto with Hinoka and Azura, Takumi with Ryoma and Corrin, Leo with Xander, and Kamui with Camilla. Elise convinced Sakura to room with her for the night, for it was clear that these two had very little, if any animosity towards one another.

"Do you think I made the right decision out there?" Kamui asked Camilla after the lights had gone out for the evening.

"Well I personally think you did," Camilla giggled, "but you know how I am. If you're not careful I'm going to join you on your bed and snuggle you."

"Camilla…" Kamui groaned.

"Don't 'Camilla' me in that tone of voice, darling," Camilla giggled, and a moment later Kamui heard footsteps as Camilla sat on the side of her bed. "Come here and rest your head in my lap. We can talk about this a little more before we sleep."

"Do I have to?" Kamui argued.

"No, but pretending you don't want to isn't doing you any favours." Camilla knew that while Kamui tried to disavow her closeness sometimes, that she secretly appreciated it. Sure enough, a moment later she felt Kamui's soft hair tickle her lap as Kamui laid there, gazing up at the blackness of the unlit room.

"Do you think I made the right decision on a higher level though," Kamui went back to asking questions. "Like, overall?"

"Honestly… that's a little harder to say," Camilla's fingers idly separated strands of Kamui's hair as they conversed, "I spoke with your mother as you recall, and after hearing her side of the story, I can only imagine how much she must be grieving knowing that this will be the last time she sees you for a while."

"That's what she told you?" Kamui sounded distraught.

"Well of course," Camilla nodded, "any good mother would lament the loss of a child. She missed you, dear. But I miss you too. I told her that I wanted you, and she was very understanding of where I came from."

"Maybe we should really start taking lessons from Corrin," Kamui suggested, "the idea of our families being able to live peacefully sounds better by the minute."

"I'm interested to see how I'm treated in Hoshido, however brief we're there." Camilla shrugged.

"I'll make sure they don't treat you maliciously." Kamui promised.

"Don't worry, darling," Camilla giggled, ruffling Kamui's curls, "I can handle myself. We'll get this mess figured out sooner or later, but you can't beat yourself up over this. You'll have your big sis with you this time anyways. Hopefully that makes you feel less homesick."

"Yeah…" Kamui sighed. "Thanks for hearing me out, Camilla. Thanks for always being there and everything. It… well, it really means alot to me."

"I'll always be there for you, darling." Camilla cooed. "Now, should I tuck you in or should I snuggle you to sleep again?"

"Camilla…" Kamui half laughed and half groaned, "that was cute when were were little, but now it almost seems too much."

"Oh, I understand." Camilla giggled, "you're a big girl now and don't need momma anymore. Alright then."

"Camilla, don't even go there." Kamui laughed as well.

"If I didn't go there, I wouldn't be your big sister." Camilla teased.

"Fine, fine… fair point. Thanks again though." Kamui conceded.

"Any time, darling…" Camilla returned to her own bed. "Any time."

* * *

 _ **AFTERTHOUGHTS:** Eeyup, I gave the princesses legendary weapons of yore for two reasons. Firstly, I figured I'd go with something that people recognized instead of an infinity+1 sword for everyone, and because Tellius is a series worth shouting out to. Secondly, it never really made sense to me that only the princes had weapons, unless there's some covert sexism or something. Ryoma and Xander make sense; heirs to their respective thrones, eldest children, crown princes, all that. But why then, did they skip over their 2nd children? Whatever the case, I suppose that argument is now laid to rest.  
Also, there's a reason Camilla received Alondite instead of Urvan, and while it doesn't have anything to do with Ragnell, it does have something to do with the plot.  
Thanks for reading!_


	30. Chapter 30: The Compromise

**AUTHOR'S NOTES:** _The decision has been reached, and the day of reckoning approaches. For those curious, yes I've got plans for Azura in the future. She hasn't had many lines or appearances because she's often in the back minding her own business. She's never really been one to say much. Conversely, here the story takes a shift, moving away from Kamui a little and focusing more on Camilla, and later on, Corrin. Here Camilla gets a taste of Hoshido... and likes a lot of what she sees-or rather, *who* she sees. As such, I am definitely not ruling out Ryoma/Camilla as a possible pairing, but... no promises._  
 _Happy Reading!_

 **CHAPTER 30: The Compromise**

 _Sing with me a song of Splits and Intrigue..._

With the royal families of Hoshido and Nohr having come to certain levels of agreement, the time came the following morning to part ways. Xander, Leo, and Elise would make their way back to the Hoshidan border cross over to the Nohrian side, where they would wait. Xander also planned to send word to Nohr to bring a small contingent of soldiers in case anything went wrong, but there would otherwise be no attack on Hoshido unless it was provoked.

Before they left and before Camilla parted from them to follow Kamui, Mikoto pulled them aside.

"Prince Xander; Princess Camilla; Prince Leo; Princess Elise…" she began, "I understand that you hardly know me, and do not expect we will have a chance to properly get to know each other for a long time."

The four siblings remained particularly wary, but heeded Mikoto's words.

"I do not wish to turn any of you against your father, but only against the notion of war," Mikoto continued, "not only for Kamui's sake, but for yours, and for that of Nohr and Hoshido alike. Perhaps I am just an old woman rambling off her dreams here, but I could die happy knowing that the families that raised my two children were as one."

"That is a lofty dream, Queen Mikoto," Xander indicated, "There would have to be a certain level of compromise, both from us but also from your children as well. You cannot expect us to strive for your dream while your children shoulder none of the burden."

"Part of the reason I am permitting Princess Camilla to accompany Kamui on this brief trip is for that reason," Mikoto clarified, "If they cannot even tolerate an outside presence, then I understand that I have work to do."

"And you're not worried at all about how some people might treat you?" Kamui pointed out.

"Darling, people can say whatever they want about me. It's when they go after my family that I became enraged." Camilla wasted no time clearing that up.

"As long as you can acknowledge that this is a two-way road," Xander nodded, "I think we can come to an agreement on that front."

"I acknowledge it, and will do everything in my power to ensure that Hoshido does its part," Mikoto promised. "Until then, I bid thee a fond farewell, Prince Xander, as well as the remainder of your family. Hopefully the next time we cross paths it will be as a united family instead of as enemies on the battlefield."

"Indeed," Xander agreed. He, Leo, and Elise said their goodbyes to Camilla and Kamui, even if it was only for a short while. Kamui and Camilla in turn bade them farewell, and after a few more hugs and parting words, Xander, Leo, and Elise turned to make their way back to the border.

Meanwhile Ryoma, Hinoka, Takumi, Sakura, Azura, Corrin, Kamui, and Camilla would return to Hoshido with Mikoto, the latter two only spending a couple of days there before they would return to Nohr for a lengthier time as the two kingdoms worked out their differences. Kamui felt like they were treading on thin ice. Maybe she had a slanted view of Garon ever since sitting on the Hoshidan Throne, but she didn't think he'd just settle for allowing Hoshido to live on in peace. That was actually part of her reasoning (in her own mind at least) as to why she wanted to return to Nohr. She entertained the idea of finding a way to reform and reduce Nohrian aggression without having it at the expense of Hoshido.

The journey back to Shirasagi was not overly eventful. Camilla mostly just spoke to Kamui, while most of the other Hoshidans barring Azura just ignored her existence. They arrived at the castle with little fanfare, other than a few passerby citizens whispering things as they saw the Nohrian princess. Upon reaching the castle, a few arrangements were made, mostly in Kamui's room, where accommodations for Camilla were set up, much to the delight of both princesses.

Despite this, and despite Mikoto encouraging her family not to treat Camilla as if she didn't exist, most of them simply ignored her. Camilla reciprocated in kind for the time being, but that didn't last too long. Incidentally, the one that she seemed most interested in speaking to was Ryoma.

"Now perhaps it is out of place for me to ask this," she began, "but if I'm allowed, I'd love to see how the High Prince of Hoshido fares in combat."

"Ha," Ryoma seemed amused, "I'm not sure if that's Kamui speaking from you, or if you were speaking from Kamui when she made the same request not more than a week ago."

"Is that acceptance I hear?" Camilla raised an eyebrow.

"I am always willing to prove my martial skill," Ryoma agreed, "provided you do not intend foul play of any kind."

"No need to worry about that, darling." Camilla assured him, "Take us Nohrians at face value on the field. We appear tough because we are."

Both Ryoma and Camilla seemed like they were holding things back, and they were. Ryoma knew he had trouble knowing when to fold, but knew that Camilla right right. Nohrians tended to be more straightforward in his experience, while he as well as many Hoshidans were well-acquainted with the underhanded tricks and tactics their country was notorious for.

"Don't you dare try to hurt our brother," Hinoka warned.

"Sweetie, I wouldn't dream of it," Camilla smiled as she gazed at Hinoka, "I am outnumbered and in the heart of Hoshidan territory. If I killed him, you would kill me, and then Kamui would be bereft of her favourite sister and I simply can't have that. No, if I spar with your brother—or with anyone from Hoshido, I will play fair."

"I know your reputation," Hinoka warned, "you are ruthless; bloodthirsty, even."

"That's completely true," Camilla agreed, "there are those who would threaten what remains of my family, and I simply cannot tolerate that in the least regard. None of you appear to be threatening myself or my family, and so I am not obligated to deliver the worst of my wrath upon you. It's really not that complicated, dear."

Hinoka was caught off-guard by Camilla's frank response, and her expression showed it.

"My, my... but you *are* a pretty little thing…" Camilla put her fingers under Hinoka's jawbone, caressing it in the same slow way she did with Kamui on a regular basis, "and you blush just like Kamui too. It's adorable!"

"I…" Hinoka went redder than her hair, "how do I even respond to that?!"

"Camilla," Kamui laughed, taking her sister's arm, "let's get settled in before we start causing too much mayhem, shall we?"

"Mayhem?" Camilla raised an eyebrow, "Darling, I was just expressing my appreciation for some of the many beautiful things I've noticed about Hoshido."

"No, you're eyeing Ryoma with that hungry look in your eyes that you get when you see someone you're attracted to." Kamui laughed, pulling Camilla out of earshot of the Hoshidans as she said this, "You're crazy, you know that?"

"23 years strong," Camilla kissed Kamui's forehead. "I do want to see if he is as talented with his hands as he looks to be though… I bet he wields his weapon with power and elegance."

"PLEASE tell me you're talking about his sword."

"Darling, of course I'm talking about his sword… or, katana, technically. What did you think I was referring to? Goodness, but you have a naughty mind…"

"So if I go to my room to write another book or something, I'm not going to come back out and find you proposing to the High Prince of Hoshido?"

"No guarantees, sweetie," Camilla giggled, "Although why are you going to write another book? Did you not just recently publish a serial called _Dancers and Diviners_?"

"How did you know about that?" Kamui gasped, "Did it already reach Nohr?"

"Your publisher is a diligent woman," Camilla giggled, "and I recognize my baby sister's writing anywhere, even despite your pseudonym."

"Anyways, yeah. I know I can do way better than Dancers and Diviners, and so I'm gonna start another one." Kamui nodded, "so knock if you need anything."

With this Kamui retreated to her room, leaving Camilla alone and surrounded by a castle full of Hoshidans. She started to make her way towards the courtyard, although on the way, crossed paths with a dark-blue-haired woman whose demonic glare lowered the room temperature by a few degrees. Fortunately for Camilla, she was unfazed.

"You should really get that face checked out, dear," she cooed, "that cannot be healthy."

The woman muttered something unintelligible except the word 'Nohrian'.

"I mean it," Camilla asserted, "you're a beautiful woman, and you've got excellent taste in attire. I don't think you should squander it with that ugly demon-face you're giving me."

This struck a chord with the girl, who cocked her head towards Camilla.

"Look, Lady… Camilla, isn't it?" she began, "I'm not trying to act all pissy and disrespectful. I just get… very uncomfortable… around Nohrians." Her left eye was twitching.

"Well, I can't speak for the monsters that would wrong a lovely girl with such great fashion sense," Camilla noted, "but this Nohrian princess and her sister don't seek any ill will towards you or any of Hoshido… provided we're offered the same respect, of course. Now come; can I at least know your name? I can ask Kamui if not."

"...I figured you'd mention Kamui at some point," she groaned, "the name's Oboro. Queen Mikoto told us to respect you as our guest, and I want to apologize in advance if I come off as harsh."

"I sense a distraught young woman more than anything," Camilla indicated, "Someone else who has lost a great deal to the nastier side of Nohr."

"What would you know about it?" Oboro scoffed. "A spoiled, privileged princess living in the safety of her castle wouldn't have to watch as her parents were mercilessly slaughtered right in front of her by marauders even though they were unarmed and begging for mercy."

There was a moment of awkward silence, in which Oboro's glare passed from Camilla's visage to the area around her. To her surprise, however, Camilla's response was not as harsh as she had anticipated it being.

"I admit that I did not lose my parents to any such event," she stated calmly, "but I also never had parents who loved me. The Nohrian Royal Court is a brutal and ruthless place, Oboro, dear. Wives and concubines of King Garon fought each other and each other's children to earn the king's favour. I watched siblings die. I was forced to slay some by my own hand. This madness persisted until there were only four of us left. So while yes, I don't know what it is like to lose my parents to the injustices of this world, I've lost plenty of family to them. And I don't know if my dear Kamui has told you or not, but family means everything to me."

Oboro was caught off-guard by Camilla's admittance.

"How do you live with yourself?" Oboro's eyes narrowed, "how can you stand to live in a country so vile that even its royalty aren't safe from one another!?"

"Because there are good people there too," Camilla answered, starting to walk, and managing to have Oboro follow. "Perhaps lacking compared to Hoshido, but circumstances are different. Xander, Leo, Elise, and later Kamui were the only childhood friends I had that didn't try to kill me. So, I took it upon myself to protect them. No one dared harm Xander—the crown prince; the son of Garon's first wife… but Leo and Elise was just as vulnerable as any of the other children. They came to me, and so I put my own life on the line as I entered the Deadly Game in their defense."

Oboro was silent as she listened to Camilla. She wasn't even sure where Camilla was taking her, but it seemed the princess had no real destination in mind; they were just walking as they conversed (and she hoped they wouldn't get lost).

"So yes," Camilla continued, "I don't expect you to suddenly reverse years of a jaded vendetta and suddenly like me or approve of my actions or Nohr's actions. But I would appreciate you not assuming that I've never lost anyone important to me simply because of my rank."

"No…" Oboro shook her head. "I… I let my anger get ahead of me. Still… I can't just forgive and forget, y'know? And I'm not just saying that because of where I am. I'm not hiding behind any kind of protection be it from my liege or from the Hoshidan royal family. It's just… who I am."

"That's not what drew me to you though," Camilla chortled. "Honestly, I'm more interested in your fashion sense."

"Are you really?" Oboro warned, "Because this could take hours if you're serious."

"Darling, I never make commitments unless I'm in it for the long run." Camilla cooed, "You can outfit me however you like."

Camilla was right insomuch that Oboro did not just suddenly trust her or trust Nohr, but perhaps some progress had been made today after all. Perhaps Camilla's visit to Hoshido would not be as full of enmity as she had thought.


	31. Chapter 31: Dusk in the Dawn

**AUTHOR'S NOTES:** _This chapter focuses a lot less on Kamui, and shifts the focus to Camilla as she ventures into Hoshido for the first time. She and Corrin do a little catching up, and our friends Roku and Zenzi get a few of their long-time fears quelled thanks to intel from her. It's certainly not to say Camilla's gone soft, but since Kamui has shown fondness for the people of Hoshido, Camilla's mature enough to set aside (most of) her differences to try and get along._  
 _Happy Reading!_

 **CHAPTER 31: Dusk in the Dawn**

 _Sing with me a song of Blackness and Grey…_

Perhaps it was nervous anticipation, or something else entirely, but Kamui remained all but locked in her quarters for the rest of the first evening and nearly all of the 2nd day. Preparations for the parting ceremonies were scheduled on the 3rd day, and as such, it left Camilla with about 24 hours to herself without Kamui. Naturally, the first thing she elected to do was find the nearest bathhouse or hotspring. Her keen senses for this sort of thing gave her no trouble at all in locating it, and her lack of shame had her undressing without even giving it second thought. Unfortunately for the one already using it, he was not too calm about seeing a Nohrian princess in such a revealing bathing suit.

"Princess Camilla!?" Corrin gawked, "I… can't you wait a while?"

"I'm not going anywhere," she asserted with a sultry smile, "you're welcome to stick around though. Mixed baths are commonplace in Nohr, after all…"

"I…" Corrin scratched his head. He was staring and Camilla knew it (but didn't mind it). "Normally I'm not this awkward. But if you're Kamui's sister, then that technically means…"

"And you've never seen your sister undressed before?" Camilla was utterly unfazed. She did decide to use her better judgment and not mention that bathing suits were seen as (and often were) optional in these situations, however. "My, my; who would have thought that Nohr was the progressive country of the two?"

"I'll just… take my leave." Corrin stammered. Camilla had no qualms with watching him as he left, however. While his body lacked the scars that his twin sister's body was painted rather ornately with, he had a similarly athletic build. Even after he left however, Camilla remained to let herself marinate for a while. She was not nearly as surprised as her next visitor was, however.

"C-Camilla!?" it was Sakura.

"I don't bite, darling." Camilla cooed. "Come on in; the water feels dazzling on the skin right now."

She was slightly hesitant, but Sakura eventually joined Camilla in the water, sighing as she could feel tension from her body ease out.

"S-so how do you like Hoshido so far?" Sakura was bold to break the ice, and sincerely hoped that she would not regret it.

"Well, I've had warmer receptions," Camilla admitted, "but overall, I like the feel of this place. I think your brother is right, dear. Maybe he and his mother's dreams of peace can be realized one day—and then all the fighting can stop."

"You really think so?" Sakura's expression changed, "because you're not as… umm… scary as I thought you would be."

"Well, I'm absolutely scary to anyone who dares threaten my family…" Camilla grinned.

"I didn't do that, did I?" Sakura recoiled as if expecting to be struck.

"Not at all, darling!" Camilla ruffled Sakura's hair, "not at all. You're someone who I see fights to protect people and to break the conflict, rather than perpetuate it. Besides, the good news for you is that if you're Kamui's family… you're also my family. And as I tell everyone—my family is the center of my life, bar nothing."

"Maybe big brother was right…" Sakura heaved a sigh of relief even if she was not entirely directing her statement at Camilla. "Maybe we *can* achieve peace…"

Unsurprisingly, even after Sakura got out of the bath Camilla lounged in there for a while longer. Other than hoping Kamui was okay, she thought about a few things: She daydreamed about Ryoma, who she did have eyes on (even if she refused to admit this in front of Kamui). She thought of Hinoka, and wondered how strong that woman was. She didn't think much about Takumi, although couldn't help but think of Leo in a quirky sort of way.

She really liked Sakura though. She was a little angel with the heart of Elise and the quiet reservation of Kamui or of Elise's retainer Nikita.

Surprisingly enough, she also really liked what she had seen of Oboro. Sure the girl still had a passionate hatred of Nohr and most things Camilla held dear barring her family, but she also had fantastic taste in clothes and colors, and perhaps most of all, she admitted that she was trying to change. Maybe it was her motherly instinct kicking in, but to Camilla, it was like a child who knew they were doing wrong but were trying their hardest not to let it keep happening. She would have to find a way to keep in contact with this woman.

She didn't know very many of the other Hoshidan retainers, although ran into Corrins' retainers Roku and Zenzi shortly after she got dressed and left the bath.

"P-Princess Camilla!?" the pink-haired woman gasped. The man with the spiky black hair stood behind her, his lips pursed.

"Have we met?" Camilla cooed.

"N-No… but I think you know one of our friends!" Zenzi squeaked. "Do you know a white-haired woman named Arozza by chance?"

"Arozza…" Camilla put a finger to her chin, "yes. Yes I know her. Brilliant-minded woman, that one; also famous for being the only swordmaster in Nohr."

"Is she alright?" Roku spoke curtly.

"She is doing as well as any of my other retainers," Camilla smiled. "No complaints there. She's told me about you two though… always saying good things too."

"That… is comforting." Roku sighed.

"So she's doing well then?" Zenzi wanted to clarify.

"Unless she's lying to me," Camilla smiled, "but I'm quite skilled at knowing when someone is lying to me, even among the devious minds of Hoshido. That reminds me… do you know where your liege is? I wish to speak with him."

"Lord Corrin should be in his study," Zenzi explained "He shouldn't be too hard to find." With that she also gave Camilla directions, and she found him without trouble.

"Oh, Princess Camilla," he looked a little startled when Camilla slid the door open, but he was just jotting down strategy notes at his desk upon her arrival. "I apologize for my behaviour earlier. You are… captivating, and I was caught off-guard."

"No worries, dear," Camilla cooed, "I just wanted to get to know my favourite sister's big brother."

"I'm only older by a few minutes," Corrin chuckled, feeling a lot less awkward now that Camilla was mostly covered (barring parts of her thighs, cleavage and lower midriff, for whatever stranger reason Camilla chose to dress that way). "Hardly enough to quality as a 'big brother'."

"You're also a bit taller than her," Camilla giggled, "My little Kamui is small and fun to carry."

"I just wish there was some way to keep her with us," Corrin sighed, "I know she loves her Nohr family… and I don't want to take that away from her. I just… well, I just wish that she understood how much it would mean for us to have that place in her heart. I've seen how she comes to your defense. I doubt there's a single thing more important in her life than family."

"You know her well for how long you've been apart," Camilla chuckled, "And I am admittedly and unashamedly very possessive. She belongs to me and I refuse to change that… but I'm willing to share as long as she doesn't get taken from me."

"If only it were that simple, right?" Corrin rummaged through one of his drawers. "Chess?"

"Don't mind if I do," Camilla sat across from Corrin, analyzing the pieces. "I assume you want to use the Hoshidan pieces? Or are you going to play as Nohr and deliberately let me win?"

"That depends on the stakes," Corrin riposted, "but more than that I'm just interested in your strategy. I'll let you play as Hoshido; you can move first."

"Very well," Camilla cooed, "I might not be a master tactician, but I do know this game and I know it well. I'm even more frightening in combat."

"We shall see." Corrin steepled his fingers, and the game began. Corrin played cautiously, almost as if he was trying to detect Camilla's play style, while Camilla walked right into this ploy, revealing at once that she played hyper-aggressively, immediately bringing out her queen to wreak havoc on Corrin's pieces.

"Mikoto captures tower," Camilla beamed as she tapped a rook off the board with a queen piece carved in Mikoto's likeness, "Check."

"You've developed nothing but your queen," Corrin raised his eyebrows as he moved a Garon-shaped king piece to safety. "And yet you're up by three pieces now."

"Four," she prodded her queen to take one of Corrin's pawns. "Check. This is where the beginning of the end commences."

True to her word, Corrin found himself being relentlessly chased across the board by Camilla's ruthless queen, and soon she had cornered him.

"Unorthodox," Corrin nodded approvingly, "but well-played. I did not suspect someone to put all of their faith into a single piece. What would have happened if I had sacrificed my queen for yours when the opportunity briefly arose?"

"I would certainly be in trouble," Camilla giggled, "although I would surely find a method of backup. I can't say the same if I were to fall in battle though. Being a one-woman army is basically what I do."

"Aye," Corrin nodded, and it was clear that gears were turning in his head.

" _Camilla relies on her own raw power to achieve victory. It's commendable, but extremely dangerous. If she's putting all of her eggs in one basket, all it would take would be a disruption of that basket to make all of her plans for naught."_

"Again?" Camilla offered, playfully brandishing the Mikoto piece, "or are you too excited over the prospect of your queen slaying our king?"

"No, we can play again," Corrin offered, "there's something I want to see…"

They decided not to switch sides, and so Corrin calculated Camilla's moves. He had expected her to move similarly to how she did last time, except this time she did the exact opposite. She moved her pieces out and sacrificed many of them, leaving her queen on the space it started on.

"What are you up to...?" Corrin looked up and then down at the board.

"I see what you're doing," Camilla giggled, "you let me play as Hoshido so I would move first; so you would get a taste of my strategy. You asked to play again because you wanted to try and adapt to my style. Normally, that would work on the battlefield, and normally I would commend your style. You play to keep people alive, and seek to win with as little collateral damage as possible. Unfortunately, in chess that means… Mikoto."

Camilla brought her queen out in the mostly-cleared board and Corrin realized that he had been duped by her again. Within 8 moves of Camilla bringing out her queen, it had pinned Corrin's king into a checkmate.

"What we should do," Camilla chortled, is I should bring my retainer's Strategy Board next time we have another peace talk. I think you would love it."

"Is that what it sounds like?" the idea did seem to make Corrin's eyes widen with interest.

"From Pegasi to Cavaliers to samurai to mercenaries and everything in between," Camilla nodded, "my retainer Arozza apparently spent several years as a tactician before joining me. Xander has made good use of her board and it's a popular game across Nohr now."

"So your chess skills are a fluke?" Corrin quipped.

"No, we have that too," Camilla giggled. "In truth I think I just got lucky. If I took my chess skills into commanding a battallion of troops, I'd likely be the only survivor. You on the other hand, treated your pieces like soldiers; trying to preserve them at all costs. That's the kind of leader any army needs, be they from Hoshido or Nohr."

Corrin gave her a somewhat surprised look. "You're rather insightful today, Camilla."

"I've been drinking," Camilla joked, "Hoshidan sake isn't quite as good as the Nohrian firewhiskey, but it's not bad. Still… thanks for the game."

"You're welcome," Corrin raised his eyebrows as Camilla stood up and took her leave. He knew he was not an unbeatable tactician, although perhaps like Kamui had fought Camilla time and again before finally besting her in combat, Corrin felt the urge to try and outsmart her through practice. If only they had more time...


	32. Chapter 32: A Princess' Elegance

**AUTHOR'S NOTES:** _There's a little more Camilla stuff before the actual ceremony, but unless I decide to add a whole chunk of new material in all of a sudden, I'm pretty sure that all of that will be next chapter. That said, it's also worth pointing out one thing regarding pairings. Ryoma/Camilla (as well as Oboro/Camilla, lol) is not set in stone just yet. I'm kind of leaning towards it, but there are no guarantees. As of right now I have only one pairing confirmed, and it involves Azura (and does not involve Corrin)._  
 _Happy Reading!_

 **CHAPTER 32: A Princess' Elegance**

 _Sing with me a song of Prowess and Charm…_

With only a few hours until the announcement and parting ceremony for Kamui (and by extension, Camilla), Camilla knew how she wanted to spend it. It was time to find Ryoma and let him know exactly how she felt. She found the High Prince right where she wanted him: alone and unoccupied.

"Prince Ryoma," she spoke up, her newly acquired sword at her side, "A word, if you will."

Ryoma turned to face her, and noticed her blade. At once it clicked as to her intentions.

"I've been waiting for this," he responded, drawing out the Raijinto as it crackled with electric energy. "Let us see if your newly obtained weapon can save you against the one that has been at my side for many years since my father's death."

"Oooh… so we're breaking out the real weapons then," Camilla looked excited.

"I will have Sakura on standby," Ryoma replied, "and I trust that you are not causing any trouble." Even barring Mikoto's barrier, Camilla knew there was no way she could kill Ryoma even if she wanted to. Fortunately for both of them, she had no such desire anyways.

"Allow me a few moments for preparations," Ryoma requested, "you may do the same, and then meet me at the sparring grounds."

"I eagerly await your challenge," Camilla licked her lips, shamelessly gazing at Ryoma as they parted ways. Had Kamui been there, she would have said something.

Takumi was the first one to run into Ryoma between him meeting Camilla and him heading down to meet her for their fight. Naturally, he did not like the sound of it.

"I suspect a trap," he warned, "we've let a Nohrian Princess waltz right into our castle, and she might be planning on taking you out."

"I wouldn't think so," Ryoma assured him, "Kamui has expressed genuine interest in keeping us united as one big family. For Princess Camilla to attempt to take my life, she must know that retribution from Hoshido would come crashing down on her just as swiftly, and that odds of fleeing Shirasagi alive are near zero."

"That's…" Takumi growled, realizing Ryoma had a point, "fine, that's a fair point. You know why I'm suspicious though. I… I would really hate to lose you."

"Your suspicions have some foundations, brother," Ryoma assured him, "but trust is one of the only ways this cooperation effort will succeed, and we should lead by example rather than hoping that Nohr trusts us before we trust them."

Hinoka was curious to see how well Camilla fought, and she was joined by Corrin, Roku, Zenzi, Kagero, Saizo, Kaze, and Oboro, to name a few. Even Kamui followed the noise and met up with Sakura as the two stepped out to watch the fight. Sakura had her healing rods at the ready for emergencies or for after the fight, while Kamui watched her sister closely to see how well she could hold her own against Ryoma. While she had come to a draw against the Hoshidan prince (through great effort), she wanted to see how well Camilla and Ryoma fought.

Camilla seemed to have little trouble adapting to Alondite. The blade's massive, two-handed size gave it a weight that helped Camilla use heavy but fast swings similar to the axes she was more accustomed to. She was pleased when she learned that it should launch shockwaves similar to how Xander's Siegfried could shoot bolts of dark energy, but she was pretty sure that this spar was going to be steel against steel rather than magical shots from a distance (although she would not mind either style, or a mixture of both).

Ryoma was unsurprisingly fast, but so was Camilla, and her heavy swings were backed with strength and speed. She was less evasive than Ryoma, but she hit harder and defended better; thus it kept the two of them on their toes as they clashed. Suddenly it became clear why the two required so much spade. Ryoma launched himself backwards before swinging his katana and calling a blast of lightning to strike right where Camilla was standing. She evaded it with a remarkably swift and graceful backflip before bombarding Ryoma with shockwaves from her own sword in retaliation. Ryoma raced in to eliminate the distance between them before pulling a feint and attacking her with the lightning again. This forced Camilla to escape with a combination of backflips and handstands, but not before blood was drawn. She put her hand to her cheek and it came back red. Smirking and licking her lips, she smeared the blood across her face and eyes before racing in with a wild fury that would have killed Ryoma without a shadow of a doubt, had he been less competent. Sparks flew from the two blades as they collided, but neither one was able to gain an upper hand above the other. Eventually, Camilla called a truce.

"I'd say it was a draw," she wheezed, her face red from the activity (rather than the blood). "You are as talented as I had expected you to be, Prince Ryoma. Thank you for the wonderful performance… I may have to ask of it again someday."

"You are formidable, Princess Camilla," Ryoma wiped sweat off his brow, "Truly a respectable rival. Thank you as well." The two of them shook hands, before Ryoma clarified that he needed to get cleaned up for the festival and announcement that would come in a few hours, and suggested Camilla do the same.

"Don't tell me you went easy on him just because he's easy on your eyes," Kamui pulled Camilla aside on their way back to the castle.

"Darling, would I ever do something like that?" Camilla argued,

"Yes." Kamui replied so swiftly that Camilla was nearly taken by surprise.

"Well, it wasn't this time," she giggled, "I have an ego and a reputation that I didn't want shattered here in Hoshido, so I did what I could. He is a formidable man, Kamui."

"Understood," Kamui nodded, "but hey, you're bleeding a little. Usually you're telling me to get cleaned up when that happens, so I'm turning the tables on you!"

"Right you are, my dear," she kissed the crown of Kamui's head. "Right you are."

Camilla returned to the castle and found that Oboro was waiting for her.

"I hope I did not cause you further offense for my spar against your High Prince," Camilla reasoned, "It was an entirely friendly gesture; of that you have my word."

"No… it's not that." Oboro shook her head. "If it was, my left eye would be twitching and I wouldn't be smiling."

"That's your smile?"

"Well, okay; I'd be glaring at you with my demon-face. The smiling bit comes later.

"So what can I do for you, darling?"

"So I take it you're attending Lady Mikoto's announcement this afternoon, yeah?"

"Of course; my darling Kamui will be there. Thus, it is my sworn duty as the best big sister ever, to accompany her at her side."

"So… let me just ask you something real fast," Oboro paused for a second, "...you weren't just leading me on with that talk about fashion yesterday, were you?"

"I'd be a terrible woman if I did such a thing!" Camilla exclaimed, "No, when I said you could outfit me however you liked, I meant it."

"Well… let's get you cleaned up then," Oboro suggested, "I want to try something, and I think you'll be the perfect subject for it."

Camilla's figure was one thing, but also there was something about a Nohrian's build and facial structure that differed from the usual Hoshidan clientele Oboro dealt with. While she was still on the fence about Nohrians in general, when she had a breakthrough of this level, even that prejudice often yielded to her desire to make it a reality.

Oboro pulled out all the stops as she worked on Camilla's outfit. She had already tailored something in advance, but had to have Camilla try it on so she could make a few final adjustments. Naturally, as she worked, Camilla decided to engage in a little friendly conversation to keep the mood light.

"So what swayed you to want to design an outfit for li'l ol' me?" she cooed. "I don't imagine your views on Nohrians changed overnight, did they?"

"No…" Oboro's left eye briefly twitched, "And it's not like I'm trying to butter you up as a Hoshidan to take my mind off of it either. It's just… there's something about you… I think it's your posture and your hair, that made me really want to design something for you…"

"There's more to it than that, isn't there?"

"You'd think I was stupid; or that I was hypocritical if I told you…"

"I cannot guarantee that I won't, but that's simply because I can hardly guarantee something that I have no idea about. I don't see you as a stupid woman though, Oboro. Methinks that you're being harder on yourself than you need to be."

"Well…" Oboro paused as she was adjusting one of the sleeves of Camilla's robe, "As much as I hate Nohr… There's a part of me that wants to make peace with them someday too… and since one of my dreams is to revive my parents' old business… there's part of me that wants to branch into Nohr too. I told you it was stupid."

"Hardly," Camilla chuckled, "if anything, that's spoken like a true businesswoman. I can see how in ignorance someone could view that aspiration as hypocrisy, but I think you're being genuine when you say you want to try and reconcile with Nohr."

"I am," Oboro gritted her teeth, looking bothered by something, "And… as much as my pride hates to say it, you're kind of doing well on the whole 'reminding me not everyone from Nohr is a heartless monster' front."

"As long as my darling family is safe, I am no monster," Camilla chortled. "I'm not one to stab friends in the back either…"

"Good, cuz I'd have to kill you if you tried." Oboro joked, "now, let's take a look at you…" she stepped back to admire the flowing dresslike kimono she had outfitted the Nohrian princess in. It was a departure from the reds, whites, and other bright colors she usually reserved for Hoshidans, but the black and lavender hues with golden embellishments really stood out on Camilla, and matched wonderfully with her hair. When Camilla saw herself in the mirror, she actually gasped before nodding in approval.

"I tend to be right when I make assumptions about people," she began, "and I was right about you. You, my friend, have impeccable taste. I am going to keep this."

Oboro's face turned sour for a moment, and she bit her tongue to keep from mouthing off against a royal—even if it was a foreign one.

"Now, now," she chuckled, "I'm not going to just take it off your hands for nothing. No… I want your business to succeed, Oboro. I obviously am not carrying all the gold on me right now, but expect a delivery within a few days of my return to Nohr. On that I swear my honor."

"I… am glad you like it." Oboro scratched her head as she glanced from side to side. "I… got a little ahead of myself again."

"No worries, darling." Camilla cooed, "I'm a woman of my word, and so you will not be disappointed. That much I can promise you immediately."

"Right… right." Oboro nodded, clearing her mind, "Thanks."

"Any time, dear…" Camilla smiled, although before the two of them could continue much more of their exchange, they heard the announcement: Mikoto's ceremony was about to begin.


	33. Chapter 33: Mother and Child

**AUTHOR'S NOTES:** _I will be out of town this upcoming week, and so there will not be any new chapters until the following Monday. In the meantime though, we finally graduate to the 5th stage of the game as Mikoto's infamous ceremony comes into being. Some things that were more secretive in the game are brought to light much earlier on in this story, because there's a whole lot more at work here than just Anankos trying to wreak havoc. That part, of course, will remain secret until its proper time, but in the meantime, here's for the enemy throwing a wrench into the systems of both Hoshido and Nohr._  
 _Happy Reading!_

 **CHAPTER 33: Mother and Child**

 _Sing with me a song of Sorrow and Loss…_

Camilla followed Oboro out and towards the city, where they rendezvoused with Corrin, Kamui, Azura, Ryoma, and the rest of his siblings. Mikoto was obviously present as well, and it was clear that she had gathered a large crowd. Oboro distanced herself a little from Camilla as Kamui distanced herself from Corrin to be a little closer to Mikoto as she made the announcement. Camilla joined her, and Mikoto turned to them with an approving nod.

"Mother?" Kamui whispered before Mikoto went public.

"What can I do for you, sweetheart?" she offered.

"I just wanted to say I'm sorry," Kamui sighed, "I feel like I'm selfishly abandoning you…"

"I will miss you, dear," Mikoto frowned, "but I understand that this is your choice. I am not chastising you for it either. I understand that you love the Nohrians, and to me… that is perfectly okay. I think this announcement will also help ease tensions between Nohr and Hoshido, and who knows? Perhaps Xander, Camilla, Leo, Elise, you, and your Hoshidan kin can all be united as one big happy family. It would certainly make these old bones happy."

"I will do what I can in Nohr to fulfill that dream, mother." Kamui embraced Mikoto tightly. "I love you, just as I love Camilla, or Elise, or Xander and Leo, or even Corrin, Sakura, and the others. You don't realize how hard that decision was for me to make in Izumo."

"I'm sure that even Takumi and Hinoka will come to terms with your decision eventually," Mikoto reassured her, putting her arms around Kamui in return. "And as much as I might wish to oppose it, I trust your beliefs, and that you believe you are making the right decision."

"How?" Kamui tilted her head. "How do you think it's 'right' for me to leave you?"

"Because there comes a point in a mother's life where the choices her children make become theirs," Mikoto explained, "I understand that you are not parting from me or from Hoshido out of a dislike for us, Kamui. Rather, I see your desire to return to Nohr as an act of love."

"You one time mentioned that you wished to see my family from Nohr and Hoshido united," Kamui sighed, "Someday… someday I'll let you see your dream become realized."

Mikoto simply embraced Kamui with a smile.

"I love you, Kamui," she whispered, "and I always will."

They parted a few moments later as Mikoto appeared publicly and began addressing her people.

"Citizens of Hoshido," she started out, before going into speech about how her 2nd child was found. Kamui glanced across Mikoto towards Corrin, although Corrin simply frowned before looking forward again.

"The rumors regarding the spies from Nohr are completely unfounded," Mikoto continued, "She came to Hoshido as a visitor, and now departs from Hoshido as a friend. She, as well as visiting Nohrian Princess Camilla, have vowed to do their part in Nohr to facilitate peace between our two nations, once and for all!"

She continued, although there were cheers from the crowds, who seemed to be able to put Camilla's nationality aside for the promise of peace. However, something wasn't right, and Camilla could sense it.

"That man…" she whispered, pointing to a hooded figure emerging from the crowds, who seemed too fixated on Mikoto to notice, "that sword he carries looks like…"

"Is that… Ganglari?" Kamui opened her mouth before the hooded figure turned right to them.

" _Come to me, Dusk Dragon…"_

There were gasps from the crowd as the man raised the sword, but instead of attacking the crowds, he simply stabbed the ground, causing a terrifying explosion all around him. The once vibrant lights and colorfully dressed people and festivities were gone; in their place, a bleak, grey swathe of desolation as a scant few survivors collected themselves. Among these, the royal families and their retainers stood.

"Lady Mikoto…" the voice continued, "Heed your husband's call…" The shattered sword suddenly rose back up as a collection of shards, which instantly pierced Mikoto multiple times, mortally wounding her. She staggered, and Kamui jumped back and caught her.

"MOTHER!" she shrieked, watching the life drain out of Mikoto's eyes.

"...you… were not hurt?" she wheezed, gazing up into Kamui's frantic eyes, "please, darling… tell me you are okay."

"I'm… I'm fine…" Kamui was trembling, trying to keep her emotions in check.

"I'm… so glad…" Mikoto gave one last smile. "I know you… will unite… our family…"

With a final breath, she fell motionless into Kamui's arms.

"MOTHER!" Kamui sobbed, and Corrin wasted no time reaching her side.

"YOU THERE!" Ryoma bellowed, drawing his sword and charging at the figure. Immediately it drew a blade of its own and parried Ryoma's attack.

" _Ahh, Ryoma, my eldest son…"_ the hooded figure threw off his cloak, revealing a man that no one ever thought they would see again: it was Sumeragi.

Corrin and Ryoma were so taken aback by this that neither one could react for a moment.

" _Do not try to keep her, little one,"_ Sumeragi warned, causing heads to turn towards Kamui and Sakura, who were trying to revitalize Mikoto's form to no avail. "Let her return to her husband."

"You come back… to take her from me…" Kamui rose to her feet, trembling. She opened her mouth as if to say more, but it seemed she was losing control over her own body. Her eyes flashed a violent shade of purple as she arched backwards and emitted an earth-trembling roar. Before everyone else, her form morphed, her limbs and neck lengthening, and her body turning black and grey as it was cloaked in shadow. After the magical effects dispersed, Camilla and the Hoshidans were gazing upon a dark dragon.

"The Dusk Dragon Incarnate…" Azura gasped. "I had suspicions when I learned of your identity, Corrin, but this… this means so much more…"

"We're not alone!" Oboro yelled, "I see Nohrians!"

Ryoma and Corrin did double takes, but they noticed the enemies as well, shimmering in and out of view. Roku and Zenzi looked particularly alarmed.

"Invisible soldiers…" Roku muttered. "I do not think this is Nohr…"

"What can we say?" Zenzi whispered, "I'd rather not try and get them believing in an invisible enemy unless we want them to get suspicious."

"It will have to wait." Roku sighed, drawing his blades. "For now, let us deal with these demons."

Oboro had wasted no time in engaging these opponents, screaming a slew of hateful things about Nohr and what they had just done to Hoshido and its queen. In her blind fury, she got in over her head, and soon found herself surrounded. She fought viciously, but not even Sakura and her magic could break the lines that were swarming her.

"Corrin!" she bellowed, "Now'd be a good time to become a dragon!"

Corrin was already a dragon, however, and was preventing a rampaging Kamui from destroying everything in sight. Unlike hers, Corrin's dragon form was lighter: white and grey, fitting of the Dawn Dragon. Instead, it was Camilla who came to Oboro's rescue. She did not seem too happy about it despite Camilla slicing away most of the enemies with ease. With Ryoma occupied against Sumeragi, Corrin occupied against Kamui, and Hinoka leading the others against the bulk of the invisible forces that were storming the plaza, Camilla was one of the only options remaining to help Oboro out.

"This was your fault, I know it!" she growled, though she kept her weapon pointed at the enemies instead of turning it on Camilla.

"Darling, you saw me standing next to Queen Mikoto, not across from her," Camilla clarified, "I assure you that if I find out whoever did this to Hoshido or to my darling Kamui, I will see to it personally that I draw out their death as long as possible."

She wondered about it herself though. Seeing Takumi and Sakura in two places at once verified her suspicions of Hoshidan duplicity and trickery: their illusionistic tricks meant that this could very well just be one of their cleverly crafted puppets in an attempt to frame Nohr. It seemed self-destructive, but she knew that animosity between the kingdoms was not limited to Nohr issuing its hatred against Hoshido. No; that was a two-way street, and this did not seem like a Nohrian plot—it was not straightforward enough. She would worry about the fine-tuned truths of this ordeal later though. For now, she had to keep the area around her safe.

She remained at Oboro's side until they were safe though, and then she tore through the ranks to try and help Ryoma out, disregarding most of her injuries. Sumeragi was too fast and too strong for both of them though, and he kept them both on edge.

" _A Princess of Nohr, fighting alongside my son_ …" Sumeragi mused with a smirk, _"I never thought I'd see that day. COME! Show me what you're made of, Nohrian!"_

"DON'T. YOU. EVER. MAKE. MY. KAMUI. CRY. EVER. AGAIN!" Camilla bellowed, emphasizing each word with each powerful swing from Alondite she delivered to Sumeragi who was forced into the defensive. Even as Sumeragi tried to flee, he was bombarded with blasts from Alondite, which prompted him to meet back up with the princess for an actual fight. However, she was forced out of the way as Kamui bowled over Corrin and charged right at Sumeragi. He was knocked aside like a leaf in the wind, and chuckled.

" _Heh… strong children,"_ he mused aloud, _"Fight; fight another day!"_

Ryoma sprang at him, but before he could strike, Sumeragi vanished as if warping away. Corrin was still occupied with Kamui, but it was clear that even in his controlled dragon form, Kamui's might as a feral dragon either was either giving her extra strength in return for the loss of her mind and stability, or it was her formidable fighting skills that made her Corrin's superior in terms of combat prowess. He was still able to keep her at bay and prevent her from attacking his siblings (or Camilla), however. This allowed Ryoma to join the others in fighting off the remaining invaders and cleaning house.

As Hinoka, Roku, and Zenzi helped polish off the remaining adversaries, Azura began to sing a soothing melody; a song woven into a spell to help free Kamui's mind from her feral dragon form.

" _Sing with me a song… of silence and blood…"_

The powerful melody grabbed Kamui's attention straightaway and she lunged at Azura, roaring threateningly, although there was something about the dragon's stance and even what there was of an expression on the mysterious creature that showed a lot more fear than threat.

" _The rain falls, but can't wash away the mud…"_

Kamui interrupted her by pinning her down straight away. Corrin was too injured to defend her after his altercation with the feral Kamui, and the others were blocked off by a powerful wall of water that Kamui had summoned during her rampage.

"Kill me if you'd like…" Azura warned, "But do it as yourself…"

Whether it was the song finally getting to her or if Azura's words had somehow struck a chord, Kamui stopped, and suddenly her form glowed with that dark colored haze, before she returned to her humanoid form and collapsed on the pavement. The water subsided, the flickering soldiers were dead or had disappeared, Sumeragi's illusion was long gone, and Corrin had transformed back into a humanoid as well. Azura slipped a pale blue pendant around Kamui's neck before taking a step back to give her some space. Roku, Zenzi, Oboro, Camilla, and the rest of the royals and retainers gathered around again as Kamui slowly came to, realizing what had happened around her: Mikoto was dead, and the plaza was in ruins. Something great and terrible had just gone down, and Kamui had a gut feeling that whatever it was might have run even deeper than just Hoshido and Nohr...

* * *

 **AFTERTHOUGHTS:** _Corrin and Kamui being the Dawn and Dusk Dragons plays a part later in the story, so don't think too much about it right now. Normally they would also be on more even levels against one another, but Kamui was in a feral form, hence the reason she overpowered Corrin. Lastly, the bit about Takumi and Sakura being in two places at once is more a reference to the "Replicate" skill from the game, and I'll explain more about how that works in this story when it becomes necessary._


	34. Chapter 34: The Blades of Legend

**AUTHOR'S NOTES:** _And now that I've returned from vacationing we are back to our regular programming. I might even be able to post three chapters this week (with the extra one on Saturday) to make up for lost times. Either way, here's the aftermath of the battle in the plaza, and a bit more of the story's divergence. Much like Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, not all of the details I drop will make sense at first, but sooner or later everything will get tied together. I generally am not a big fan of loose ends and the like. To me that's bad storytelling, and so chances are, if I leave a detail somewhere, it's probably important later down the line._  
 _Happy Reading!_

 **CHAPTER 34: The Blades of Legend**

 _Sing with me a song of Stories and Swords..._

Kamui slowly rose to her feet, glancing around her. "What…" she clutched her head, "what just happened?" She felt clear, however. She understood her dragon form a little better right now, although glanced down at her neck to find a pendant there that she had not been wearing before.

"Are you alright, Kamui?" Azura spoke, "you… transformed into a dragon and rampaged through town. The stone around your neck helps keep your dragon blood in check, so it does not happen again. Don't worry… Corrin has one too."

"Gods!?" Kamui gawked, glancing around in terrified horror, "are you saying that I did this? The town, these people...no. No, there's no way that could have been me!"

"It wasn't you, darling," Camilla stepped up to give her some reassurance, "nor was it your family. The culprit… was your father."

"No." Kamui's jaw dropped at the implications this had.

"Don't frame Hoshido for your tricks, Nohrian!" Takumi warned.

"Our tricks?" Camilla put a hand to her chest, "Darling, I'm not saying it was Hoshido's fault at all. I am, however, pinning the blame on what I saw. The figure me and your brother fought was indeed Sumeragi. I remember his face—I was there when he was killed."

"Ryoma…" Hinoka looked terrified at the implications this had, "is she…"

"She… is telling the truth." Ryoma frowned, "but that is NOT the Father we knew and loved. It was a monster—corrupted by some level of foul magic. While I would normally suggest that it is Nohrian in design, I will try to remain reasonable until we know more."

Roku and Zenzi quietly exchanged looks, but kept straight faces. There was already a lingering suspicion of them ever since they refused to divulge their kingdoms of origin, but they also did not want to trigger the curse that would wipe them from existence.

"Smart man," Camilla cooed, "for it would behoove you to remember that Nohrians and their magic are much more straightforward than even the duplicity shown by your two youngest siblings," she glanced towards Takumi and Sakura; the former scowled and the latter squeaked.

"You've gone off the deep end, Camilla!" Oboro got right in Camilla's face, "Lord Takumi and Lady Sakura aren't behind this and you know it!"

"Goodness," Camilla actually looked a little thrown off, "no, but I am not accusing them at all. But I know what they can do. They are in two places at once, and that is Hoshidan magic. I am wondering simply if I was wrong about Sumeragi's death… if what I saw was a duplicate much like what two of his children are capable of… and then he came back."

"To do what!?" Hinoka took the defensive, "kill his wife and threaten his child? Camilla, tell me—what the hell would that even accomplish? What is the point of that?"

"I can think of many things," Camilla mused, "vying for more power; inspiration from my own father… but if you want to know why I am saying any of this, it's for one simple reason."

"Make it good," Ryoma warned, "for while I will hold my own against slander aimed at my name, I will not tolerate any slandering directed at my siblings or at my father. I knew him better than you could ever dream of, Princess. I will not see his good name tarnished by Nohrian lies."

"All I am saying," Camilla cooed, "is that we could point fingers at each other all day long and not get anywhere. If you want straightforward Nohrian truth… I really hope that it is not a Hoshidan machination either. The very act of what happened here today disgusts me on a level I cannot even begin to explain. I am infuriated at the death of my dear sister's beloved mother, and I am willing to rend her killer limb from limb if I am given the chance. HOWEVER, I will also not accept the blame landing on Nohr's shoulders without some solid, definitive proof. I am simply suggesting that we should not point fingers until we know what is going on…"

"And what if neither country is to blame?" Zenzi blurted out, "What if this is not Hoshido or Nohr's doing at all, but someone that wants to see them both gone?"

"And who would do that?" Ryoma tilted his head, "Izumo? One of the tribes? Notre Sagesse?"

"I-I don't know," Zenzi admitted, "I'm mostly just saying what if Princess Camilla is right? What if this isn't Nohr's fault either? I obviously don't think it's our own countrymen, but what if it's not the Nohrians either though?"

"Think of mother's last words," Corrin stepped up, "would she really want us turning against each other?"

"No she would not," Hinoka asserted, "Although it makes me wonder…"

"I have suspicions of Nohr too," Corrin admitted, "But I will wait for evidence just as Ryoma will."

Kamui sighed. "I really don't want anyone to become enemies over this," she began, "but now that you mention it, there's something we need to discuss, brother."

"We can discuss it here then," Corrin asserted. "I do not think it needs to be private."

"Very well. I do not fear their judgment either," Kamui dismissively waved at her Hoshidan kin.

"So let's hear it;" Corrin suggested, "or are you retracting your gratitude for our hospitality?"

"Nothing so fanciful," Kamui shook her head before stepping forward getting right up in Corrin's face. "But if you EVER say that Nohr was the only party responsible for the war again… I will murder you where you stand."

"Explain yourself!" Corrin jumped back as Takumi's arm reached behind his back for his weapon. Camilla responded by reaching behind her for her sword as well, although neither party drew their weapons just yet.

"I will tolerate that ignorant lie no longer," Kamui crossed her arms, "Nohr's been struggling since long before I or even King Garon came into the world. Our land became barren beneath our feet; we freeze during the night; some of us burn by day. Countless lives are lost to starvation, famine, crime, and pestilence. It's no wonder we Nohrians don't venture out much."

Kamui paused, realizing she had the full attention of everyone in the hall. "And when your people refused to trade with us, we had no choice but to steal what we needed. Make no mistake, brother: Nohr's first invasion of Hoshido was not out of greed or a lust for power. It was out of desperation. After our initial defeat, we were labeled as criminals and monsters, and any Nohrian that successfully crossed the border for any reason was slain on sight. This brewed further enmity between the two kingdoms, and here we are today. If Hoshido is truly innocent, then how does that explain the spy network entrenched within our borders? Were they not able to see the plights of the Nohrians and offer to help?"

"Do you truly think that Hoshido's inaction justifies King Garon's atrocities?" Hinoka was the one to speak up, "or how their Faceless monsters roam our lands, blighting it wherever they go? Nohr has killed thousands of Hoshidans, Kamui. Most of the victims are people innocent of the crimes committed against Nohr."

"So do you expect us to just forgive and forget?" Kamui pointed her sword towards the others, although less as a threat and more as a gesture, "to forget that in Nohr's time of desperate need, Hoshido turned them away? It is easy to turn down those who have nothing when you are the ones with everything."

"That does not justify the murder of innocents!" Hinoka argued, "We're not asking you to turn against your friends or family there. All we're asking for is a chance to be heard…" She stepped forward, throwing her spear aside. "And all I'm asking you personally, Kamui…" she muttered in a shaky voice with a lowered head, "...is a chance to get to know my sister."

Kamui lowered her sword, noticing the sincerity etched into Hinoka's expression. Her siblings watched intently, wondering how Kamui would react.

She sighed. "I'll give you that chance, Hinoka." Kamui conceded, "it does not assure that I will abandon Nohr in favour of Hoshido, but I believe in fair chances and 2nd chances. I will try my best to prevent envy and old grudges from clouding my judgment. However… While I understand that Hoshido and Nohr are on hostile terms, I will not stand by listening to everyone around me slander my former home. I was happy there. I may have been a royal, but I lived the life of a common soldier locked away in a gods-forsaken fortress for most of my life. Privilege was not something I was well-acquainted with. The scars that riddle my body are marks of my trials and strengths. Xander and Camilla honed me into the warrior I am today and I owe them everything for it. BUT… more important than any of that, I want you all to know that I hold and harbour no ill will towards Hoshido, or towards any of you—not even you, Takumi. I understand that my word are harsh and that they might cut deeply… but it hurts me to hear them. I want to love Hoshido the way I love Nohr. I want to see my mother's dream of a single united family realized, and I will try to make it a reality at any cost."

"You know what I'm gonna say then, don't you?" Takumi spoke up.

"Yes… yes I do." Kamui admitted, "And you're not wrong, Takumi. All of you have full rights and reasons to be suspicious of me."

"That we do," Takumi nodded, "Starting with why you have your brother's sword."

Kamui glanced at the golden-colored sword in her hand, before realizing that she did not recognize the blade.

"I… found it in the rubble next to me?" She glanced at the ruins of a large statue that formerly dominated the plaza as a sort of centerpiece.

"No…" Corrin's eyes widened, and he brandished a sword identical to the one in Kamui's hands, "I've got mine right here."

"How ironic that the Dusk Yato is found in Hoshido," a voice spoke up. A few heads turned and identified the speaker as Yukimura, Mikoto's old strategist. "Although… considering the origins of the Dawn Yato… perhaps it makes sense."

"That might explain the Nohrian stories of a missing sword for one," Camilla quipped, "but I suppose those wrongs have been righted if this blade has truly chosen Kamui."

"If this is truly the blade that can bring peace to this world," Kamui began.

"Then I will happily wield it at your side as well, sister." Corrin joined her to Kamui's surprise. "Let us call your siblings, sister. We will find a way to break the news to them and end it peacefully. If Nohr is behind it, I'm sure they will know-provided that their remarks in Izumo were true."

"This is not Xander's work, and I don't want to ever hear you even insinuate that again," Kamui warned, "I will stand at your side, brother. Do not make me regret that decision."

Sakura heaved a sigh of relief as the tension began dissipating. The survivors returned to Castle Shirasagi for one final night and to send word to Xander, Leo, and Elise, but even Kamui knew that tomorrow was the last day of indecision. The Day of Reckoning had come.


	35. Chapter 35: Warmth is Gone

**AUTHOR'S NOTES:** _And here we reach the final chapter of Act II before we move to the fateful meeting on the Hoshidan plains. Despite the somewhat somber theme here, this is kind of a breather chapter before the fecal matter collides with the air circulation device. Barring the obvious Corrin and Kamui, I would probably say at this point that Camilla is going to remain one of the more central characters to the story, and her role in this saga is massive compared to her role in the games. I won't spoil anything about that just yet though. That would ruin the fun. (Also: Happy birthday, Xander.)_  
 _Happy Reading!_

 **CHAPTER 35: Warmth is Gone**

 _Sing with me a song of Mourning and Death..._

Hoshido immediately got to work preparing both to meet the Nohrians, and to give Mikoto a proper funeral. It was an all-day thing, and since the only correspondence they received from Nohr was to meet them near a border province at a river crossing. They were given a day of leeway out of respect for the departed Queen Mikoto, whose funeral ceremonies and proceedings lasted most of the day. Corrin, Ryoma, Hinoka, Yukimura, Orochi, Reina, Roku, Saizo, Kagero, and even Zenzi said different things in parting, and most people were pretty certain that both Zenzi and Hinoka were softly sobbing after they had sat down. Sakura was much less subtle about it, and Kamui was weeping into Camilla's shoulder, while she remained rather stoic. Kamui did find it surprising when Camilla gently lifted her head and moved away from her, wondering what she was up to.

To everyone's surprise, Camilla got up before the final parting of the ways, and gave a eulogy of her own to Mikoto out of respect.

"Lady Mikoto and I did not know each other long," she began, "And even now I'm sure that many of you are not fully comfortable with the presence of a Nohrian Princess at the funeral of your beloved queen, particularly after the enmity our countries have displayed for so long. However… Despite only having met her recently at the Izumo Peace Summit, I will say right now that Mikoto felt more like a mother to me than my own mother ever did. I will not go into specifics, but it suffices me to say that I loved Lady Mikoto with the same fervor as many of you do. She was a beloved mother and a paragon of kindness and empathy. The continent of Ferevs has lost a miraculous woman… for someone to have such a profound effect even on me in such a short time, I felt morally obligated to give her these last words as a final respect. I have emphasized many times with the royal family that my own family is the center of my life and that which I cherish above all else. Lady Mikoto was family to me, even in the brief time I knew her. I will not forget her sacrifices, nor will I forget her dreams."

She ended her speech abruptly and returned to sit with Kamui again, leaving a sort of awed silence in her wake. Yukimura stepped back up to help officiate the closing of the ceremony.

"That was…" he admitted, "a remarkably touching eulogy, actually. I will admit that I feared the worst when I saw the Nohrian disrupt the process just now… but it seems that Princess Camilla is merely a further reminder of how vast this tragedy is for the people of Hoshido, and even of Ferevs as a whole."

He continued with a few closing words, and the somber ceremony concluded a few minutes later. Ryoma actually stopped Camilla as they returned to the castle. Hinoka stood beside him, and Sakura behind her. Even Takumi couldn't help but stop to look at Camilla.

"That was…" Ryoma cleared his throat, "more touching than I would have expected. Thank you."

"I was not lying when I emphasized how important my family is to me," Camilla softly explained, "the discussion she and I had in Izumo was a turning point for me, and I knew that this woman's intentions were pure. I stand also by my promise to find whoever did this and end them—permanently."

"I understand," Ryoma nodded, "and I do not suspect that you were involved in any way. Still… I am admittedly surprised at what you did and said. It is not unwelcome… but I apologize for not thinking better of you before."

"It's agonizing to lose family," Camilla agreed, "I can hardly fathom how anguishing this must be for all of you."

"It's… hard…" Hinoka stuttered, "But… I've gotta admit, Camilla… that was actually really beautiful. I really hope you meant everything you said."

"I meant every word." she kissed the crown of Hinoka's head. "Your mother was a good woman. Maybe it's Kamui's affection rubbing off on me, but I think I could get along with all of you fairly well—even you, young man." She turned to Takumi.

"It wasn't bad…" Takumi scoffed, "and just because it wasn't you doesn't mean it wasn't Nohr…"

Camilla simply stared Takumi down until he caved.

"Alright!" he shook his head, "Alright… It… hit me really hard, alright. I'm angry. Our Mother is dead and it's the same day she introduces our people to a Nohrian. Even my retainers are suspicious, but I… I guess I'm just looking for someone to take it out on."

"I'm not saying what you're doing is unreasonable," Camilla chuckled, "But like I told your siblings—I meant every word of what I said out there. My darling Kamui sees you as family. If you're her family, that means you're my family—and I would never betray my family."

"I'll… uh, have to get back to you on that," Takumi scratched his head, not entirely sure how to handle Camilla's forwardness especially with his own conflicted emotions. Just… good speech, alright? Don't bother me anymore about it though, okay?"

Camilla chuckled. "Don't worry; you got your point well enough across to me." she promised.

"So why did you do it?" Corrin was much more subtle with his emotions than Kamui, "How did you so swiftly befriend our mother that way?"

"Perhaps a story for another day," Camilla sighed, "My mother was a cold and unloving woman who cared for little save her own gain. She disappeared from the castle decades ago, but every now and again she showed up again to help me hone my skills. I know what she was trying to do, but she was never able to take my agency away. Don't worry about me though—I'm not here to share my sbob stories. I am here to mourn the loss of a wonderful queen and mother; and to offer you my utmost condolences for your loss."  
"Th-thank you…" Corrin sighed. "I might not have lashed out, but I still see Mother's final moments playing in my head. I see why Kamui loves you so much…"

Kamui smiled sweetly as this went down, her eyes still red and watery from the ceremony earlier. As Corrin departed and Takumi walked away at a much faster pace than normal, little Sakura stepped up, first looking down at her feet and then up at Camilla's regal and somewhat commanding figure and posture. She fidgeted with her hands and then looked away.

"C-Can I tell you something?" she whispered.

"Sweetheart, you can tell me everything…" Camilla promised.

"That… that was a very beautiful speech." Sakura was trembling, clearly very afraid of what she was saying, or perhaps just intimidated by talking to someone so bold and commanding like Camilla, "Mother… she… she kind of just had that effect on people. I was so happy when I realized she had had that effect on you. I just… I just wanted to say th-thank you."

"You're very welcome," Camilla put her arms around Sakura, who reciprocated and buried her face into Camilla's shoulder.

"I miss her so much already!" Sakura cried, before realizing what she was doing, "Oh… I… I really shouldn't cry on you, sh-should I?"

"Sweetheart, this whole motherly game Momma Camilla plays isn't a facade either," Camilla chuckled at how sweet and polite Sakura was, "When something weighs so heavily on your heart, let it out. I used to listen to Kamui do the same thing from time to time."

Sakura did exactly that, and Kamui frowned. It was almost ironic now that Camilla was here. It was like she was bonding better with the Hoshidans than she was, and she was their flesh and blood. She hated to think of what would happen if they turned against her. Camilla was already a savage fighter to anyone she perceived as an enemy, but for those close to her to betray her… she knew that Camilla would not take it well, and that it would spell disaster.

Then she thought about Zenzi's words. What if she was right? What if there really was another player behind the scenes that wanted to see Nohr and Hoshido reduced to ruin? But for what cause? Why would anyone want that? Was there a rival kingdom or empire that could really bring the two mightiest nations in Ferevs to their knees?

Incidentally, Corrin was wondering the same thing. He knew he had to interrogate his retainers on this when he could, and so when he found the time, he confronted Zenzi and Roku about the exact issue.

"I have to know," he insisted, "If there is a kingdom large or powerful enough to topple Hoshido or Nohr, where is it? And more importantly, where are you from? If you refuse to say because you are from said kingdom, do not withhold that from me. I am not going to judge you for actions you did not commit."

"Even if we told you where we were from," Roku explained, "you would not believe us. We will just say that we are from a land far from here; northern and cold. No one there has a reputation here in Hoshido, but that's because they are not a threat. They are not the ones dealing with invisible troops like our current enemy."

Zenzi affirmed Roku's words, which were technically true. Ferox was far from Ferevs (to the point where no one had heard of it; though Feroxis, Ylisseans, and even Plegians had actually heard myths and legends of Hoshido and Nohr), but it was a northerly country and it was in fact rather cold a lot of the time.

"And who is the current enemy if not Nohr?" Corrin tilted his head.

"That's what we don't know," Zenzi lied, simply out of not wanting to trigger the curse. "Our people enjoy sparring, but not warring and invading like the flickering soldiers."

"I will trust you then," Corrin promised, "please don't let that trust be in vain."

"We came from a world plagued by war," Roku affirmed, "We do not wish to end up in another one just like it."

"What happened exactly?" Corrin looked curious, having realized he never asked his retainers such a basic question after all these years.

"There's not much to say that is worth discussing," Roku grunted, reminding Corrin why he usually didn't ask him or Zenzi about their pasts, "but to sum it up, most of our friends were dead before we came here. There's nothing worth returning to, and so we remain in Hoshido."

"A fair point," Corrin conceded, "I did not mean to bring up uncomfortable memories. Come; let us return to the castle. I don't imagine that tomorrow is going to be a very glorious meeting with so much of Hoshido blaming Nohr."

"All it's going to do is make them angrier at us," Zenzi frowned. She didn't want a battle against Nohr either, for she feared that Camilla's retainers would then return, which could potentially pit her and Roku against Arozza. Meeting on opposite sides of the battlefield as enemies was not something she wanted to happen at all.

Whether it was from Mikoto's all-day funeral ceremonies or whether it was from the grim anticipation of Nohr's retribution for the blame game that Hoshidans were playing on them, there was a looming silence that hovered over Castle Shirasagi that evening as the family members retired for the night. The lights that were usually on in Mikoto's room late into the evening were now off, and the room remained empty and untouched, waiting for an owner that would never return. Sakura wound up joining Hinoka to cry on each other's shoulders, while even Corrin found himself feeling more sensitive than usual.

Kamui was a wreck over it though, and it was only through the emotional fortitude of Camilla comforting her that evening that she was able to get any sleep at all. Her world had been turned sideways after all of the events that had transpired over the last few weeks: she hadn't even spent a week in Castle Krakenburg before she was captured by Hoshidans and brought to Shirasagi where her world was turned sideways. She met her mother and had nearly negotiated peace between Hoshido and Nohr, before Mikoto was given an untimely assassination, which finished turning her world upside-down.

She couldn't help but wonder what tomorrow would bring. Choosing which family she wanted to live with was not the Day of Reckoning, but this upcoming encounter was.


	36. Chapter 36: The Path is Yours

**AUTHOR'S NOTES:** _And here's the promised bonus chapter to make up for my vacation absence... and boy is this a bonus chapter. Act III kicks off, and we reach the fateful turning point where a decision must be made: Defend Hoshido, Fight with Nohr, or Refuse to Choose a Side. I've already hinted that this is a story based on Revelations, but while that choice might be clear, the way things go down is going to be considerably different when all is said and done. Since this chapter marks the point where characters get formally "recruited" into Corrin's army, any time a character joins the group, I'll add their name and a short bio (and the character's age in this story) to the bottom of the chapter they are recruited in, as well as what class (or classes) the character will generally behave in or as. It should also be noted that the "large amount of Corrin time" I've been promising folks for a while starts now, so feel free to drop me feedback. Either way, I've rambled enough. Update Schedule is back to twice a week now._  
 _Happy Reading!_

 **ACT III: THE CHOICE IS MADE**

 **CHAPTER 36: The Path is Yours**

 _Sing with me a song of A Thorn in You..._

The final preparations for the rendezvous were put into place the following morning, but it seemed that news between Nohr and Hoshido travelled fast, for the Nohrians had offered their condolences for Hoshido's loss. Perhaps this would be a peaceful meeting after all. Kamui would return to Nohr and help them reshape it without having to tear Hoshido apart in the meantime.

"Milord," Kagero approached Ryoma, "we have reports of Nohrian activity to the west as well. There seem to be small contingents of troops nearby, but for what purpose I am unsure."

"Do you suppose it is a trap?" Ryoma turned to his retainers.

"I'd bring some of our own, just to be safe," Saizo warned, "If Nohr truly means no harm from this meeting, then it'd simply be us taking the same precautions that they did."

In the meantime, Kamui was in her room tidying things up for the last time (at least for a while). When Camilla walked in, it only took her a few seconds to realize that Kamui was not herself.

"Tell me what's wrong, baby sister," she sat down on the bed beside Kamui.

"Take a guess," Kamui sighed as she leaned against Camilla's shoulder, "I miss Xander, Leo, and Elise, but I also really like it here—much more than I thought I would. Mother's wish of having us all united is something that I yearn for more than ever, it seems."

"To be honest, I've found a lot here that I really enjoy as well," Camilla admitted.

"Like Ryoma?" Kamui couldn't help but take the stab.

"Well of course," Camilla laughed, "but also others. Your sister Sakura is also a little darling, and that Hinoka girl is adorable and doesn't seem to realize it."

"Hinoka… adorable," Kamui cracked a smile, "that's a couple of words I never thought I'd see in the same sentence together."

"Well, it's true," Camilla asserted, "and even Takumi has his heart in the right place even if he doesn't always know how to say it. He has a really nice retainer too."

"She's the one that made that black kimono for you yesterday right? That girl who hates Nohr for whatever her reasons are?"

"That's the one. Momma Camilla will help her straight that out though."

"It's almost like you're getting along better with them than I am!"

"Maybe I am!" Camilla joked, "it may have something to do with me going out and talking with them instead of locking myself in my room."

"Touché" Kamui quipped.

"I cheered you up though, didn't I?" Camilla kissed Kamui's forehead.

"Aye… that you did." Kamui conceded. "Thank you."

The journey towards the border was not overly eventful, but Ryoma had heeded Kagero's warning and taken a few small contingents of troops to deploy in case the Nohrians were trying anything. Hopefully they would not have to become public. Kagero seemed pacified by this action, though Corrin noticed she was looking around a lot as if for something.

Sooner or later, however, Kaze and Saizo returned from scouting ahead to report that the Nohrians were on their own. Only Xander, Leo, Elise, and some of their retainers had shown up at the designated meeting point, though true to Kagero's word, there were small contingents of troops not far off in the distance. Thus, Hoshido reciprocated while Ryoma, Camilla, Corrin, and the remainder of the Hoshidan royals and retainers went to meet the Nohrians.

"Prince Ryoma," Xander greeted him, "I offer our condolences for your loss."

"Thank you, Prince Xander," Ryoma sighed, "Many of my countrymen accuse Nohr of the deed, but I refuse to accept it as truth unless there is evidence uncovered."

"I have heard such rumors," Xander frowned, "as well as some indicating that Hoshido did this in an attempt to frame Nohr. However, I will offer you the same courtesy. Nohr will not accuse Hoshido of this crime, and should it be a traitorous Nohrian, we will weed them out just as we did with Zola."

"Whatever the case," Camilla stepped forward, "We're here, big brother, and most importantly, we are safe. Has there been any progress with Father?"

"None, unfortunately," Xander sighed, "He instructed us to bring a few divisions of troops with us, and we had no choice to oblige."

Ryoma and Corrin both looked vindicated in heeding Kagero's words.

"However," he continued, "they are stationed not far behind us and will not resort to hostilities while under my watch. It was more a formality than anything."

"It is acceptable," Ryoma reasoned, "for Hoshido did the same after we learned of this. It was more of a precaution, but they will not attack unless we are threatened. I see that Nohr has remained on the side of reason and prevented hostilities."

"Understood," Xander nodded, "Now, we have returned to pick up our sisters, and with that we can leave this field without shedding any blood."

"Aye," Kamui nodded as she and Camilla stepped towards the Nohrians. Kamui turned back towards Hoshido and waved.

"I wish to return someday," she promised, "but I feel like I cannot leave my family in Nohr to deal with the issues that plague King Garon and our country on their own. Someday… someday after all of that is done and over with, I vow upon my mother's grave… I will see Hoshido and Nohr and their associated families united."

"I still hate to see you go," Hinoka sighed, looking a little watery-eyed. "I spent all this time hunting for you only to bring you back however briefly…"

"I know, Hinoka…" Kamui sighed. "I'm a woman of passion. The drive to see Hoshido again is my drive to cleanse Nohr—and I will see it through."

A more sentimental parting was interrupted however, with Yukimura of all people calling out.

"Kagero, what in blazes…!?"

Kagero had just shoved past Corrin, Yukimura, Azura, and Ryoma and jumped between the royals form Hoshido and Nohr, a manic glint in her eyes.

"And here I thought that impersonating that batty Archduke was hard…" she cackled, "WHOO, this one's a doozy that takes the cake. Sorry to break up the runion, folks, but I'm on special orders here!"

"KAGERO!" Ryoma barked, although Xander knew exactly what was on.

"ON WHOSE ORDERS, ZOLA!?" he roared, giving the culprit's identity away.

"Not Garon's!" he cackled, still in Kagero's form. "Don't worry, your ninja friend is safely in Mokushu… no one's going to hurt her there!"

Camilla had already drawn her sword, while Xander, Ryoma, and Corrin responded a split-second later, but it was too late. Kagero clapped her hands together and vanished, and a deep red shockwave emanated from her epicenter, passing through everyone on the field. It shook most of them, although even little Sakura kept her footing.

"TO ARMS!" Ryoma pulled out a war horn, "Kill every last Nohrian you see!"

"RYOMA!" Corrin barked. "Have you gone mad!?"

"Leave none alive." he glared at Corrin, and that's when he saw it. Ryoma's eyes were shimmering red. "Starting with you."

He slashed at Corrin, who barely evaded it.

"To war!" Xander retaliated with a deeper war horn of his own, and soon the Nohrian troops were in view just as the Hoshidans were, "slay every last Hoshidan you see."

"Will you give me the honour?" Kamui asked, cocking her head from Xander to Corrin. Corrin's eyes met Kamui's and he saw that she, as well as all four of the Nohrian royals, had the same red eyes and Ryoma had. He turned towards Hinoka and Takumi, and saw that their eyes matched as well.

"What kind of sorcery…" he began, before dodging Hinoka's spear.

"By not fighting the Nohrians…" she warned, "you're betraying your own kin."

"No!" Corrin defended himself surprisingly well, "Hinoka have you lost your mind!?"

"It seems they have," Azura warned as the two of them attempted to flee, "The pendants you and I are wearing must have kept us from being hit with the curse." Corrin glanced down at the silver pendant around his neck, which carried a pale blue stone.

"How do you know?" he asked, before blocking a series of vicious swings from Kamui, while Azura helped parry them.

"I don't…" she admitted, a little fancy footwork keeping her out of Kamui's range, "and we don't have time to dispel this right now. We need to get out of here."

As they fled, a pink-haired woman clad in black and white raced towards them, while Kamui was distracted by a particularly strong Hoshidan fireball. Corrin squinted, and realized that the frilly uniform coupled with the thigh-high stockings and fancy boots belonged to one of those Nohrian maids. Naturally, considering the state of the battlefield, which had erupted into nearly an all-out war, Corrin suspected hostility. However, as soon as she was close enough to see faces, the woman immediately surrounded.

"Whoa!" she held her hands up, "P-Please don't kill me, sir!"

"Who are you?" Corrin tilted his head, glancing around to make sure that no one was coming for them just yet (it seemed the fire had distracted Kamui for the time).

"I'm Felicia!" the maid exclaimed, "one of Kamui's retainers. I… I thought you were her from a distance. The clothes, the hair… do you know where she is?"

"She's trying to kill us," Corrin exclaimed, "seems we've got a sorcerer that's trying to make everyone lose their minds out here."

"I was wondering why everyone was fighting." Felicia heaved a sigh as she caught her breath, "so, um… whose side are you on? Everyone looks so worked up over there."

"The short version," Corrin sighed, "is that they're all out against us."

"What!?" Felicia gawked, "what did you do to make them all mad, uhh…." she stammered for a moment, hoping for Corrin to give his name.

"Corrin," he luckily obliged, "and I don't know. But we're no match for them in this state."

"We need to get across the river!" Azura warned, "I think Kamui's back on our trail!"

She was, and behind her were the Nohrians and the Hoshidans. Their movements were forming a V and would likely converge near the river, which formed a Y-shape the farther away from Xander and Ryoma they got.

"I can help!" she offered, "I'll freeze the river to give us some easy crossing… just as long as I don't slip or something!"

"That… would be wonderful!" Corrin shouted as they raced towards the river. Kamui was gaining on them, but Felicia was swift in turn. With a few deft hand movements, she froze them a bridge across the river. Corrin and Azura glided across with relative ease, but Felicia, true to her word, slipped up near the end.

"Whoa!" She gasped, and ended up gawking even louder as she felt an even stranger phenomenon. Right as her foot gave way and went skyward, she felt a hand seize her ankle, and using Felicia's momentum, Corrin swung her around, seized her other ankle, and landed the maid on his shoulders.

"Stay close," he almost chuckled at the close save, "they'd probably kill you just as quickly as they'd off us."

As soon as they crossed the river, Felicia turned around and melted her icy bridge, causing the others to pause. However, what really stopped them (for Kamui was about to dive right in), was a small voice screaming.

"STOP!" it bellowed. Everyone froze, and noticed Sakura standing alone.

"Her eyes!" Corrin gasped. "They're… not red?"

"That charm Izana gave her…" Azura gasped, "Perhaps it really did let her keep a level head. It must have had a ward against this very curse."

"Seems convenient…" Felicia held onto Corrin's shoulders to keep from tumbling off. "I wonder if that Izana guy knew about it beforehand or something…"

"Corrin!" Sakura shouted, "RUN!"

"Sakura!" he exclaimed, "We can save you!"

"No!" she shouted back, "I can stop them!" She didn't even wait for his argument. Her eyes flickered green as she put her foot down. The ground below them rumbled, and the river began to sink deeper and deeper, separating the Hoshidans on one side, and the Nohrians on the other, with Corrin, Azura, and Felicia in the triangular section of the "Y". As the ground and water levels dropped, a pair of swordmasters lunged across, barely making it.

"I… have no idea what in oblivion is going on over here," the man exclaimed, "but I apologize for leaving your side, Lord Corrin." it was Roku, and at his side was Zenzi.

"We need to leave!" Zenzi exclaimed, "I don't think Lady Sakura's abyss will last forever!"

Corrin glanced back at them. Thankfully it did not seem that Ryoma, Hinoka, or Takumi were trying to hurt Sakura, but it was clear they were looking for way around the ravine.

"And I know where we need to go," Azura began, "just trust me and follow me."

"I don't think we have much choice." Corrin responded. "Let's go."

* * *

 _ **AFTERTHOUGHTS:** It's just worth pointing out here that no, Zola is not the villain here as much as just a schmuck carrying out orders and channelling magic from a higher power. How long he impersonated Kagero is anyone's guess, but I felt that Iago-style possession/control made a lot more sense than the royals on both sides acting like Anakin Skywalker with their "if you're not with me... then you're AGAINST ME!" nonsense. Nevermind that the avatar is not fighting against you; clearly if s/he's not fighting with you against your enemy then s/he HAS to be your enemy, right? So yeah. That's my shot at the game's writing's cringey-logic, and so there will be more to recruiting the royals than simply asking really nicely and hoping they'll drop the Idiot Ball sooner rather than later._  
 _Also, it should just be pointed out that there is a reason Sakura was not possessed, and it's the same reason Corrin and Azura were not possessed. To be exact, it was foreshadowed and vaguely hinted at in Chapter 29. Also, unlike in my Hunger Games story, The characters recruited will not be posted in every chapter; just the chapter they are recruited/join up in. That said, I hope you've enjoyed the story thus far, and thanks for reading!_

* * *

 _ **CHARACTERS RECRUITED:**_

 _ **Corrin:** A prince raised in Hoshido who grew up with a distrust of Nohr after her twin sister was abducted at a young age. A somewhat idealistic pacifist at heart, he prefers tactical or diplomatic approaches to avoid combat if possible. The Dawn Dragon Incarnate, he can change into a dragon and wield the sacred blade, the Dawn Yato, and his leadership skills have him well-liked by most of the army. Has the most hidden potential. Born on 19 July (Age 20)  
Classes: Mechanist/Hoshido Noble  
_

 _ **Azura:** A princess raised in Hoshido after being taken hostage in exchange for Kamui. Kind and wise, but very secretive about her emotions as well as general information pertaining to herself. Her songs help her allies on the battlefield and are mesmerizing either way. A restless sleeper, she often takes walks with no destination in particular, softly singing as she goes. The one with the loveliest hair. Born on 3 March (Age 21)  
Classes: Songstress/Valla Noble  
_

 _ **Felicia:** One of Kamui's retainers from the Ice Tribe, along with her sister, Flora. A hard worker and skilled combatant, but clumsy and prone to breaking things, which upsets her. Despite this, she is alarmingly deft with knives, and keeps far more of them on her person than she should. Her destructive habits tend to make her a deadly force on the battlefield, but also rather reckless when around fragile objects. The least pickiest eater. Born on 19 February (Age 21)  
Classes: Maid/Hero  
_

 _ **Zenzi:** An elegant and graceful master of the sword whose origins remain a mystery. Always looking out for others, she is also an incredibly talented dancer, which many find surprising due to how shy and introverted she is. Despite her stage fright, she is unparalleled in her craft and swiftly earned the trust and admiration of the people of Hoshido for it, where she now serves as one of Corrin's retainers. The most mesmerizing singer. Born on 20 August (Age 20)  
Classes: Swordmaster/Dancer  
_

 _ **Roku:** A swordsman originating from lands unknown, he wasted no time in earning the approval of many Hoshidans for his skill with the blade, where he now serves as one of Corrin's retainers. While cool and calm around most people, the very sight of most women turns him beet red and causes him to inch away. He is much more aware of things than he lets on about, and masks this knowledge under short, curt speech patterns. The deftest potato peeler. Born on 10 October (Age 22)  
Classes: Swordmaster/Assassin  
_


	37. Chapter 37: The Unspeakable World

**AUTHOR'S NOTES:** _And here we finally reach Valla for the first time. There's a lot more going on here than there was in the games, and not all of the inhabitants are Anakos' puppets just yet. It is also worth pointing out that just because the characters in-story suggest something does not mean that their premonitions are always right. They're human; they're just as susceptible to being wrong as anyone else (yes, even Corrin and Kamui). That said, here's the 37th installment of the story, and keep those reviews and feedback coming.  
Happy Reading!_

 **CHAPTER 37: The Unspeakable World**

 _Sing with me a song of Demons and Myths…_

It took about 15 minutes before Corrin even realized that he was still carrying Felicia on his shoulders, his hands firmly clutching her ankles. In fact, it was only after the small group stopped to catch their breath that he even gave it further thought other than slightly loosening his grip so he didn't cut off Felicia's circulation.

"So where exactly are we going?" he asked Azura as they caught their breaths.

"The Bottomless Canyon," Azura explained, "I think I know who Zola might have been working for, but I cannot explain it here."

"Whoa!" Felicia gawked, "why are we going there?"

"I… cannot explain at the moment," Azura sighed. "You will have to trust me."

"It would be wise to trust her, milord," Roku suggested, "I know where she is leading us."

"Then you have been there too, yes?" Azura turned to him.

"We have," Roku replied, "if it is the place I am thinking it is."

"And that would explain who Zola is working for!" Zenzi exclaimed.

"I… am very confused." Felicia looked down from her perch on Corrin's shoulders, feeling like the one member of the party who was being left out of a glorious secret. "Who's working for who, and where's this bottomless canyon place? Forgive me if I sound like a fool."

"It's… not your fault." Zenzi stuttered, "Azura is right though. We really cannot talk about it here."

"I will take your words for it," Corrin indicated, "although I do demand an explanation when we get 'there', wherever that is."

"And one shall be provided," Roku promised. "It will make sense when we get there."

"Oh, and I think I can walk now if you want," Felicia offered with a sheepish chuckle.

"Alright," Corrin chuckled as he helped her down. "Sorry for snatching you… although how do you run in those shoes?"

"You get used to it after a while," Felicia chuckled, "but I don't exactly go sliding around ice dressed like this. The last time I did I fell in, and… well, yeah." she trailed off.

"I suggest we get going," Azura warned, "the longer we wait, the more damage might be done between the others."

"I hope Sakura's okay…" Corrin mused, "That was some crazy magic and excellent use of a Dragon Vein, but is it enough?"

"The Hoshidans did not seem to be attacking one another and neither did the Nohrians," Roku pointed out, "so as long as they're kept from one another, I think they'll be fine."

"We hope so, at least." Zenzi added supportively.

"Let us hurry," Azura warned, "we are not far off…"

The Bottomless Canyon was as ominous as it had always been, with the eternal darkness and crackling lightning overhead making even the hostile regions of Nohr seem tame in comparison. Corrin couldn't help but wonder who had put up these rickety old bridges, and more importantly, how they were still intact after all this time. He knew little of this place, for unlike Kamui, he had not actually ever been here. Zenzi and Roku, however, both recognized the place.

"Here's a place I would be content with never seeing again," he grunted. "Lord Corrin, this is the place Azura spoke of, I am certain."

"This place is unmentionable?" Corrin tilted his head.

"No... " Azura began, "the place we need to get to is at the bottom of the canyon." she stepped towards the rope of the rickety bridge, and leaned over it. "You have to trust me."

"What!?" Felicia gawked, "H-Hold on just a minute! If we jump down there, we'll all die. I understand we're trying to keep a low profile here, but no matter how low the profile is, being dead doesn't seem like it'd be very helpful!"

She paused, glancing around, "but it seems you all know each other a lot more than me… so if you're all sure this will work."

"It will, Felicia," Azura smiled, "trust me. I will explain everything once we are there."

"Then we have little choice," Corrin declared, "let's jump."

"After me,: Azura instructed, "I'll go first, and the rest of you follow behind me."

"Got it," Corrin nodded, and waited for his cue. Azura gracefully leapt off the side of the bridge, and Corrin followed with a regular jump. Perhaps comically, Felicia tripped on her way to the edge, and tumbled in after them.

"Looks like we're going back there after all," Roku turned to Zenzi before he ran and jumped off, turning his jump into a dive as he followed. Zenzi didn't hesitate and sprung up into a rather elegant 180-backflip and spread her arms in a swan dive as she plunged after the others.

After a brief plunge through darkness, the party found themselves in a place both familiar and unfamiliar to some. Ruined buildings and desolate fields stretched out on all sides, as a myraid of floating islands interrupted the skies, with some even being sideways or upside-down.

"I hate this place," Zenzi mumbled.

"Where exactly is this place?" Corrin tilted his head, before glancing at Felicia, "and are you alright, Felicia?"

"A little dizzy, but nothing I can't… oof!" she tried standing up and fell right back on her back. "I'm just gonna lie here for a while, okay? Let me get my bearings straight."

"We don't seem to be in any hurry," Corrin pointed out, "although we should probably act sooner rather than later. For that matter, does anyone know where we are?"

"Aye." Roku grunted, "This is Valla."

"Valla?" Corrin looked at him curiously.

"We've been here before," Zenzi sighed, as if spilling a long-held secret. "We are not from here, but we passed through here on our way to Hoshido. This is where those soldiers shrouded in the purple flames come from."

"Indeed," Azura affirmed, "and it is responsible for the conflict between Hoshido and Nohr."

"Is this what you meant back at the plaza, Zenzi?" Corrin turned to his pink-haired retainer, "back when mother died… with Father, and Mother… and what Camilla said?"

"It is!" Zenzi exclaimed, "But we couldn't say it until we got here."

"I do want to know the reason for that, by the way." Corrin asserted.

"It is because of a wicked curse set upon this kingdom by its current ruler," Azura warned, "Those who speak of Valla outside of its bounds will dissolve into nothingness. It is the same curse that has forced me and your retainers to hold our tongues."

"I… apologize, Lord Corrin." Roku sighed, "We… would not have withheld this information from you if we were able to divulge it."

"It explains a lot," Corrin admitted, "but don't worry. I understand it clearly now. Has anyone died by that curse that you know of, Azura?"

"Yes, actually." Azura frowned, "My mother, Arete—the last queen of Valla."

"How!?" Corrin gawked, "and why?"

"I should back up," Azura explained, "but first we should move. We are not safe out here in the open, and even if we were not outnumbered, I sense formidable enemies lurking nearby."

"We're right behind you," Corrin nodded. "Felicia? How are you holding up?"

"Admittedly, m-most of this is going right over my head," the maid stammered, "but I think I get the gist of it. I'm armed and can protect myself, but if any of you need help I'm happy to try and provide it. I'm… uh, much better on the battlefield than I am in the kitchen."

Almost as if to prove her point, she kicked one of her feet back, flipping up a large dagger and catching it with a deftness that she certainly did not have when it came to carrying dishes. Roku and Zenzi drew their swords, and Azura clung to the naginata she had been carrying back at the Hoshidan plains. Corrin held the Dawn Yato closely, and with his free hand briefly clutched his Dragonstone. They were ready for a fight if one was to occur, but ideally hoped that Azura would lead them somewhere safer.

She took them to a dark slot canyon that admitted minimal light from the twilight skies, but it was silent here, with naught but the breeze whistling through the rocky crevices to bother them in terms of noise.

"As I was saying before," Azura continued once everyone had settled down, "the current ruler cursed this land, and reduced it to the ruinous state it lies in now. That ruler is the king Anankos, and like Valla, mentioning his name outside of his realm will lead to your death. He is the one that slays thousands and then curses their remains to fight for him. He laid waste to this land and slew the king of Valla, and aims to do the same to Hoshido and Nohr, it seems."

"B-but does he?" Zenzi raised an eyebrow. Her time in Hoshido had made her much bolder, although her stagefright wasn't completely absent. "Because if so, the whole approach he's taking doesn't seem very logical. We met a saner version of Anankos before we came to Shirasagi. If… if that part of him is separated from his dragon form, wouldn't the dragon just be there to ravage and destroy?"

"I have wondered that myself," Azura admitted, "It almost feels like there is someone else pulling strings—someone who knows exactly who to use and how to strike. I feel like if Anankos was using his pure might against Hoshido and Nohr the way he did against Valla, that nothing would stop him, if there was not something—or someone—in place preventing it."

"You're suggesting someone is controlling a god!?" Roku looked flabbergasted.

"Not controlling, no." Azura shook her head, "but someone taking advantage of it, definitely. These moves seem too calculated to be acts of random chance. Someone wants the royals of Nohr and Hoshido dead."

"Well, there was Zola back in Izumo…" Corrin pointed out.

"No way!" Felicia shook her head, "I know of him, and he's an underling if anything. That kind of sounds like King Garon though…"

"No," Azura shook her head, "I fear that Garon is merely a pawn in this operation as well. Perhaps he is even already dead. He has certainly not looked too great in recent years."

"That's… a good point." Felicia frowned, "but who then?"

"Perhaps we are not meant to know just yet," Azura sighed, "but I am curious to know whether the mastermind truly is Anankos or if it is someone else."

"We'll learn what happened," Corrin promised, "and whoever or whatever is trying to subvert us and Ferevs will be dealt with accordingly."

"So what do we do now?" Felicia asked the others, "I mean, are we just going to camp out here for a while until we need to go back?"

Before any of them could answer that, however, a voice from atop the canyon spoke.

"Whatever you do, you need to move—swiftly." the feminine voice warned, "They are coming for you even as we speak."

"Who are you?" Corrin demanded, drawing his sword. "Show yourself."

While he had anticipated a fight, the figure leapt up before landing with surprising grace in front of them, the dim light of some of the stones in the canyon illuminating some of the girl's features now that the sun had finished disappearing.

She was young, or so Corrin assumed based on her appearance, with brilliant green eyes that betrayed both a troublesome adolescent and a troublesome past hidden behind that mischief. Her outfit and tightly braided sky-blue hair was more reminiscent of an adventurer or treasure hunter from Nohr, however, which made her seem out of place.

"You can call me N—Chel," the girl replied, "or Marzichel if you wanna be formal, but…" she trailed off, both at realizing she was talking to a man, and from whom she saw behind him. She cleared her throat, staring a few feet to Corrin's left. "Anyways, we need to get out of here. There are already enemies surrounding this canyon."

No sooner did they look behind Chel than they realized that she was right. The similar glowing flames wreathed a slew of otherwise invisible soldiers, and like any and all Vallite warriors the group had crossed paths with, these looked as hostile as them—if not more so.

* * *

 **AFTERTHOUGHTS:** _Chel/Marzichel is in fact an alias rather than an OC. She'll likely end up revealing her real name to at least the audience in the near future, which might in turn give away a certain pairing, but don't hold your breath too soon. It's not like she's being terribly subtle about it anyways.  
Thanks for reading!_


	38. Chapter 38: Servants in Shadow

**AUTHOR'S NOTES:** _A while ago I mentioned that I had at least one pairing confirmed, and after this chapter, I can't go back and change it, because there's a rather stark bit that happens which would prevent me from doing so. Chel might be bound to Valla for the time being, but this is not by any means the last we will see of her. She's also the harbinger of a certain mechanic that got a makeover in this story. But, no spoilers from me yet! In the meantime, Corrin's army grows as they hunt for a place to hide. "Revelations" is a very apt title for the name of this game in this story, because there are a lot of things that get revealed very soon or even in this chapter.  
Happy Reading!_

 **CHAPTER 38: Servants in Shadow**

 _Sing with me a song of Prisoners and Dread…_

Chel stood near the mouth of the canyon. "I take it you've all fought these bastards before, yeah?" she called over her shoulders.

"Aye," Zenzi nodded, "we need to hold the line against them."

"No," Chel asserted, pulling out a bow and nocking an arrow, "I'll guard the mouth of the canyon. Anything that tries to fly over will get shot down, and anything trying to get through will have to go through me, my bow, and my blades. The rest of you, get moving! If I can dispatch these invaders I'll catch up to you."

None of them wished to argue with Chel, and so they made their way through the maze-like canyons, trying both to stay alert and to not get lost. Roku and Zenzi led the main charge, venturing down the paths to ensure the safety of their liege, although a few had some unintended effects that caught them off-guard

"Kyaa!" Zenzi squealed as she ran past a wall and suddenly found herself warped back at Corrin's side. "There are traps down some of these paths."

"Not traps, Roku corrected her after racing in and testing the same tunnel Zenzi had tried going through, "warp sigils. Just... stay wary, Zenzi."

"Should we have left Marzichel back there all by herself?" Felicia looked concerned, although dispatched an enemy with her dagger so nonchalantly that one would almost think she was built for combat, "She's pretty vastly outnumbered."

"I'm having second thoughts, especially with how few soldiers we've run into thus far," Corrin pointed out, "but maybe she knows something we don't know?"

"Whoaa!" Felicia gasped, "Enemies ahead!"

Sure enough, as they rounded the corner, at least one or two dozen flame-cloaked soldiers awaited them, and immediately brandished their weapons upon noticing the intruders. Felicia wasted no time in starting the show by knifing one of them with surprising dexterity. Roku and Zenzi used their speed to their advantage, rushing in and handling the frontal assault while Corrin handled any that got past their defenses. The legion of enemies seemed to keep growing, using the shadows to their advantage, and nearly overwhelming the little group. The canyon maze grew larger, and at one point, they even found an abandoned fortress to hole themselves up in as they used the structure as a vantage point against the pursuing enemies. Luckily for them, they received aid a few moments later, as arrows began peppering the enemies. Zenzi glanced up towards the rims of the canyon and saw that Chel had returned.

"How much trouble did you guys get into?" she scowled, firing a trio of arrows into three separate enemies as she made her graceful landing, "they must really know you're here."

"Then it looks like we need to find a different place to lay low," Felicia pointed out the obvious, "Marzichel, do you know of anyone else here?"

"I know of a few people, but not many that aren't already from Valla," Chel explained, "I did see a couple of odd Nohrian figures in this canyon though, and that's part of why I'm here. If they've run into the same mess you all have, they're going to need help."

"By any chance…" Felicia piped up again, "did you see them? Do you know what they look like?"

"There was a man in black riding upon an armored horse," Chel began, "and another man dressed similarly to you, except with a suit instead of your frilly skirts. Both of them looked as lost as you, actually."

"So why did you pursue us instead?" Azura asked, "why not try to save them first?"

"I…" Chel stammered, glancing towards Azura and then away from her again, "I felt compelled to come for you first. I may have made a mistake…"

"Th-that sounds to me like Jakob and Gunter…" Felicia raised her eyebrows, "but Jakob said that Gunter had died after he fell…"

"There's one way to find out," Chel warned, "if we can fight our way through whatever else lurks in the shadows ahead, we might be able to rescue them."

"So…" Corrin turned to Felicia as they navigated the treacherous maze, "I take it you know both Jakob and Gunter, whoever they may be?"

"O-of course!" Felicia exclaimed, "they were Kamui's retainers. I'm one of them too, actually! I came this way after hearing that something had happened to Kamui's mother, and was originally going to offer condolences, but then the war broke out and, well… you know the rest."

"Then they're important, and we need to save them," Corrin asserted, "let's move out. Roku; Zenzi; you two scout ahead. Azura will stay between us, while Felicia and I will make sure nothing comes up from behind. Chel, did you dispatch all of the enemies at the canyon's mouth before you joined us?"

"I took out as many as I could see," she indicated, "although I'm not sure how many remain. I am pretty sure that those men you're looking for are up ahead though. Let's move out."

They had dispatched the enemies around the fortress, and knew that they couldn't just linger here, and so the six of them pressed forward into the shadows using Corrins' formations, where they made good progress. Eventually they came to a small clearing where true to Marzichel's word, a man dressed as a butler was holed up in a vantage point of a fortress, and fending off invaders trying to eviscerate him.

"That's Jakob," Felicia nodded, "L-let's help him out!"

Corrin, Roku, and Zenzi didn't need to even be told twice. Within less than a minute, the shadowy soldiers were dead, and it was only then that Jakob came down.

"Jakob!" Felicia was the first to speak, "what in oblivion are you doing out here?"

"Felicia!" Jakob retorted, "I suppose I could ask you the same thing. While you were off dillydallying, our lady Kamui ran off to the Bottomless Canyon. I was on my way to Hoshido when I heard of her mother's death, but was utterly baffled when she came at me before taking a sharp left and diving right off the bridge. So, I did what any other dutiful servant would do and pursued her. She was certainly not herself."

"Hold it," Corrin interrupted him, "Kamui's here?"

"Were she not here, I would not be here either," Jakob nodded, before realizing who he was speaking to. "You there… are you familiar with her?"

"I'm her brother," Corrin answered, "twin brother, actually. So you're telling me Kamui's here and that you came all this way just to find her?"

"I would be a subpar servant were I to do anything less," Jakob asserted, "though that begs the question of how Felicia here came to fall into your hands."

"I actually came to find Kamui," Felicia retorted, "and apparently got here before you."

"Well…" Jakob muttered, "How irksome."

"Hey," Chel interrupted all three of them, "I hate to interrupt this little family reunion and all, but can we get moving? I mean, if you would all rather stay here, I can let you guys do your own thing, but if you'd rather get back, I can help you there."

"In what ways?" Azura asked as the others quieted down and got moving again.

"My friends and I know of you," Chel replied, "and know of Corrin, Kamui, and the others. Don't worry about us though; our goal is to keep you lot safe. That's why I need you to listen to me so we can get you all out of here."

"I would listen to her," Zenzi agreed, "it doesn't' seem like we have much choice, and without her we've just been wandering circles around the maze."

"I concur," Corrin sighed, "this place is clearly not as safe as we had originally hoped."

Chel zigzagged through the winding canyon and soon they came across Gunter. Rather than fighting off soldiers, however, he looked more confused as if he was lost.

"Hold it!" Jakob gasped, "Do my eyes deceive me, or is this truly the same Gunter that we watched plunge to his death in the Bottomless Canyon?"

"Clearly if you plunged down the canyon and survived, odds are he could do the same." Roku quipped. "The canyon leads to Valla, as we all now know."

"Jakob!" Gunter exclaimed, "I see you're still alive and kicking. What happened to lady Kamui?"

"I was hoping you would be able to tell me," Jakob riposted, "I'm surprised you're not dead, old man. Can you give me back the time I spent grieving over your demise?"

"Good to know you're still the same asshole you've always been, Jakob" Gunter retorted, "It wouldn't hurt you to be kinder, but I digress. Why are you all here?"

"I came to find our lady Kamui, who came here clearly out of her mind." Jakob explained.

"I followed the others," Felicia added. "And we've got Kamui's twin brother."

"I brought them to Valla in the first place," Azura clarified.

"And I helped lead them thus far," Chel added as well.

"And who are you?" Gunter turned to Chel, "I remember the Nohrian princess Azura, but you… you bear a slight resemblance to her, although do not look familiar."

"I'm an agent of Valla," Chel explained, "my friends and I were here trying to find the Dawn and Dusk Dragons, although we were separated, and I fear many of them are trapped here now."

"We can help you find them," Corrin offered. "It's the least we can do to repay your kindness in helping all of us out."

"No," Chel shook her head, "your duties lie elsewhere. My friends and I will stay vigilant here to try and curb Valla's influence on Ferevs."

"So you're not coming with us then?" Azura turned to her.

"I… can't." Chel sighed, "I need to find my friends on my own, rather than distract the rest of you from your main goal."

She paused at the mouth of the canyon, and this opening looked different. Marzichel had indeed led them to safety.

"Kamui is not far now," she warned, "but sadly, this is where I must part ways."

"How do you know?" Corrin asked, "And why do you have to leave? If your goal was to find the Dawn and Dusk Dragons, why leave when you're so close to getting them together."

"It's… Chel stammered, "It's complicated. It's not a curse or anything like the one surrounding Valla; you just need to trust me on this, okay? I… I got in way over my head and I just need some time to sort out my thoughts. Don't come looking for me though—I'm going to make sure that no reinforcements try to sneak through the canyon and ambush you as you pursue Kamui."

Corrin paused, almost seeming like he was about to question the story, but decided against it. Chel had kept them safe so far, and so he figured that she had some really good reasons why she could not stay with them.

"We should get moving," Azura suggested, before turning to Chel." but before we go… I just wanted to thank you, Marzichel. I know you're telling us the truth—and I know what it's like to have to hold all types of secrets in."

"Do you realize who I am?" she asked, for a second appearing hopeful.

"If I had to guess, I would say you were a fellow Vallite that escaped the curse," Azura admitted, "but other than that I cannot say I recognize you. I can tell that your heart is pure and so are your intentions, however. I wish you safety and fortune in your endeavours, whatever they may be."

"Thank you…" Chel sighed, and to Azura's surprise, she threw herself around her for a moment before pulling back.

"I… apologize. I got a little ahead of myself." she stared at the ground.

"It is nothing to stress about," Azura smiled, putting her hands on Marzichel's cheeks. "Stay strong. Whoever your friends are, they need you more than ever now."

Corrin called out for Azura, and Chel turned to her, nodding before taking off in the opposite direction. Azura rejoined her comrades, and Chel rounded a few corners before leaning back against a wall and slumping dejectedly into a sitting position, where she let out a groan that might have been loud enough to draw the attention of Corrin and the others had they not rapidly continued moving away from her location.

" _They always called me the dreamer,"_ she ruminated, _"and the delusional one. Perhaps some of my fantasies are crazy, but who cares? A girl can dream, can't she? Still… shit. This is crazier than I thought, and I thought I was going to die. Corrin's as good-looking as I remember, and that Jakob fellow wasn't hard on the eyes… a shame he's an ass. Still… maybe Corrin could calm him down and… no. Stay focused. I can't be Nina in front of them yet. I can't come out and tell them who I am when there's still so much mistrust among everyone we need together. They can't know who I am; they can't know whose blood runs through my veins. If they knew who my parents were, there's a chance that the two would never even get together, and then where the hell does that leave me? Lost; lost in the plane of nonexistence. It hurt to say goodbye, mother… but more than anything, it was heartbreaking to feel your tender embrace and then be forced to say goodbye a second time…"_

"I can't believe it…" Chel gasped as she returned to reality, her breathing slightly frenzied as if she had just run a race, "We made it…"

A gentle stream of tears flowed down the sides of her face. "Mother... you're still alive..."

* * *

 _ **AFTERTHOUGHTS:** As her little rumination has indicated, Marzichel is in fact Nina (and her alias is a corruption of "marzyciel", which literally just means "dreamer"). A total of 25 child characters exist in this world at this point in time, and each of them has a different origin story as to how and why they are here. There's still a bit of reality-defying here, and while it's not time-warp-realms, it's also not quite the twist Awakening had, nor is Chel/Nina going to be the next Lucina or anything. No, she has a very special purpose in Valla. On that same note, Nina's reveal means that the pairing in question that is now officially "confirmed" is Niles/Azura, so I guess to those that hate it... so sorry mans? I have my reasons, part of which was based on Nina's appearance (also important for later) and for other reasons taht will be revealed in time._

* * *

 _ **CHARACTERS RECRUITED:**_

 _ **Jakob:** A multitalented Nohrian butler who serves Kamui at home and on the battlefield. While he took a vow of loyalty towards Kamui and is nothing but polite and professional towards her, everyone else is fair game for his provocative and sarcastic quips and remarks. He makes a mean cup of coffee and has an uncanny talent for dealing cards-and winning when he plays them. Not a morning person. Born on 3 December (Age 24)  
Class: Butler  
_

 _ **Gunter:** A Nohrian knight of middling birth who reached his rank on talent and discipline. He served as Kamui's retainer, and helped shape her into the seasoned warrior she is today. He is exceedingly hard on himself and others, which has tempered them for the best. He is the one responsible for Reina's facial scars, and she for his. Despite this, both see the other as a worthy enemy. Has no sense of humor. Born on 13 June (Age 52)  
Class: Great Knight  
_


	39. Chapter 39: The Inexorable Night

**AUTHOR'S NOTES:** _I'll give a heads-up right now that there's a bit of aNaNkOs tExT in this chapter, but it's fairly scarce in this chapter and doesn't persist into the next chapter at all. On that note, however, the track "Fantastic Feast" is considerably appropriate for the first half of this segment. Anyways, The next chapter might be a little delayed due to NaNoWriMo, but if I can't post it on Thursday, I'll try to at least get it up on Monday. Anyways... it's time to meet Kamui again!_  
 _Happy Reading!_

 **CHAPTER 39: The Inexorable Night**

 _Sing with me a song of Dusk and Control..._

Tracking Kamui was not nearly as difficult as they thought it would be. Even amongst the ruins of Valla, there were still clear signs of a rampage that led to a clearing. In the middle of it was a large, black and grey dragon. These dragon forms that Corrin and Kamui took did not seem to normally have visible eyes, but there were two red spots on either side of its face that glowed as if with those same possessed eyes that now affected 7 of the 8 royals of Hoshido and Nohr. Incidentally, and to everyone's surprise, the dragon morphed back into a humanoid; and less surprisingly, Kamui's eyes still glowed red.

"i hAvE bEeN wAiTiNg FoR yOu, dEaR bRoThEr…" she called out, brandishing her sword threateningly, "dO yOu tRuLy ThInK yOu cAn sToP tHe dUsK dRaGoN aT hEr MiGhTiEsT?!"

"Kamui!" Corrin barked, "Snap out of it! This is not you, and you KNOW this is not you!"

"iS tHiS tRuLy nOt WhO i aM?" Kamui riposted, her back arching and her head leaned back at a nearly inhuman angle as she took a lopsided but dangerous stance, "i HaVe MeReLy rEtUrNeD tO My fAtHeR iN vAlLa. I fIgHt fOr HiM aNd ThE eXalTeD oNe, aNd iN rEtUrN ThEy GrAnT mE StReNgTh. yOu ArE nO mAtCh FoR tHe NiGhT, DaWn DrAgOn!"

"That sounds more like the Kamui I knew," Corrin muttered, "Kamui, I know you're in there, and we're going to break you free. Hang in there!"

"cOmE aT mE!" Kamui warned, "DeMoNsTrAtE yOuR iNfErIoR sTrEnGtH AnD wIlL By cRaShInG aGaInSt mE lIkE wAtEr aGaInSt rOcK, bEfOrE ReAlIzInG yOuR gRaNd MiStAkE!"

"Corrin!" Azura warned, "There's no way you're going to be able to take her down on your own. I… I hate to have to ask this from you, but I need you and your companions to protect me. If I can sing my Song of Liberation without interruptions I will be able to free her from this curse that grips her, and then she should be back to normal."

"I take it there's a catch." Corrin frowned.

"The catch is that if her strength is not whittled down enough she will be able to fight it, and judging by her current state she looks ready to kill."

"I will keep you safe, Lady Azura" Gunter offered, "my shield is large and my armor is thick. My steed is not nearly as old I am, and can likely outmaneuver Lady Kamui even at her angriest."

"The rest of us should go all in on her then," Zenzi suggested, "I've seen Kamui's scars. I-I don't think she's bluffing about her strength at all."

"nO mOrE wOrDs!" Kamui roared like a dragon before charging, "StAnD uP aNd FiGhT!"

Roku and Zenzi wasted no time in taking their usual three-point formation with Corrin as they charged at Kamui. Jakob and Felicia stayed a little farther back to harass her with daggers and throwing knives, while Gunter and Azura circled around, staying out of the Dusk Dragon's reach.

Despite the 5-on-1 onslaught, Kamui actually had the upper hand, presumably because of her augmented strength and power. She was made even more terrifying by the fact that she periodically morphed back into a dragon and then back into a woman, and there was no pattern to her intervals. Her dragon form was slower but much more resilient; while her humanoid form could not take as many hits, but she was terrifyingly fast, even for lightning speedsters like Roku and Zenzi. The only thing that slowed her was Azura's song, but it was clear that she (or whatever was possessing her) was trying fiercely to resist it. Corrin morphed into a dragon as well to keep Kamui occupied, while Jakob, Felicia, Roku, and Zenzi all dashed in and out with little pricks and lacerations to slow the Dusk Dragon down. Kamui lashed out, slicing Zenzi across the chest before jabbing Jakob in the back of the head with a swift and powerful kick that concussed him and knocked him unconscious. Only Felicia managed to evade getting hit, while Roku took a blast of water ejected from Kamui's mouth that threw him several meters back. Corrin stayed right in her face though and attacked her while she focused on his friends. The two dragons began mauling each other in an odd sort of way, but while Kamui's strikes were vicious and erratic, Corrin's strikes were acute and very precise. These efforts weakened Kamui to the point where she was forced back into her humanoid form, whist Corrin retained his dragon form and struck her hard enough to disarm her. Kamui fell onto her back and Corrin pinned her there while his retainers gathered around. With Kamui too weak to resist, Azura broke into the full song she needed to sing to snap Kamui out of her curse.

"You are the grey ocean waves…"

"KyAaAaAaAaAuUgGhHh!" Kamui bellowed as if being tortured, "fAtHeR… eXaLtEd OnE… PrOtEcT yOuR lOyAl cHiLd fRoM ThIs bEwItChMeNt!"

However, as Azura finished her song, Kamui stopped thrashing and struggling, and instead began gasping for breath as her eyes faded back to their normal color. Corrin slowly morphed back into his humanoid form as he scooped Kamui into his arms. She was certainly worse for wear, being roughed up even worse than Zenzi.

"What… happened?" Kamui groaned, clutching her forehead.

"You were possessed," Corrin explained, "and you said something about Anankos being your father, and something about an "Exalted One"..."

"Corrin, holy shit, that reminds me!" Kamui explained, "I've got a bunch of stuff to talk to you about… but I need rest… and it looks like that pink-haired woman needs help too."

She stood up and looked around. Almost immediately, despite his injuries, Jakob was at her side, much to her delight (which also meant he had regained consciousness).

"Jakob!" she put her arms around him, ignoring her wounds.

"Milady!" Jakob actually smiled, "it is a pleasure to see that you are alive and well… or at least alive. I came searching for you the moment I heard the news in Hoshido."

"I expected nothing less," Kamui quipped, smiling as Felicia showed up as well.

"L-Lady Kamui!" she exclaimed, "Are you okay?"

"Never been better," She shrugged, "but hey, why don't you help heal Zenzi?"

"Right then!" Felicia nodded and got to work mending Zenzi's wounds, and then tended to Roku before seeing who else needed assistance. Jakob was able to use his own staff on himself after he had tended to most of Kamui's wounds, and because of the evasive maneuvers they had taken, both Gunter and Azura were unhurt. After everyone was accounted for, Corrin, Zenzi, and Roku helped bring Jakob, Gunter, and even Kamui up to date on what was going on.

"Well…" Kamui gave a long drawn-out sigh after she heard the whole story, "the good news is that I know of a place where we can actually lay low without having to stay in this gods-forsaken dungheap or have to camp-out in the shithole known as the Bottomless Canyon."

"Your chance to leave has passed, trespasser." A firm voice interrupted them. The group spun around to find themselves face to face with a Vallite mage flanked by two rather regal looking women. All three were shrouded in wispy purple flames.

"Says who?" Kamui challenged, brandishing her sword.

"Kamui!" Corrin called out, resisting the urge to slap his forehead.

"Says the will of Anankos and the Exalted One," the woman replied as she waved her arms, surrounding Corrin's little army with a magical barrier.

"I met Anankos while he possessed me just now," Kamui riposted, "and lemme tell you—shittiest father ever. He makes Garon look like dad of the year."

Kamui's smacktalk was not met with a verbal response, but the woman to the mage's right shot an electrical arrow at Kamui that knocked her clean off her feet. As Corrin was trying to formulate a strategy regarding what to do next, the barrier suddenly shattered when a blue-glowing arrow whizzed out from nowhere and penetrated both sides of the barrier, dissipating it.

"Get out while you can!" the archer warned, and Corrin recognized it as Chel.

"You dare defy the Exalted One, insolent child?" the mage threatened.

"I can and I will." Chel stood her ground, "And so will my friends. These men and women will not fall into your hands today, monster!"

"Chel!?" Corrin exclaimed,

"RUN!" Chel bellowed, "RUN OR WE ALL DIE!"

Kamui pulled Corrin away, because it was clear that he was hesitating. Chel kept the three Vallites occupied while Corrin's group retreated, and Azura helped them escape Valla.

"You wanted to stop and help her, didn't you?" Kamui sighed.

"She saved us—multiple times, back there," Corrin clarified, "and while we were running from you during your rampage on the plains, Sakura did something similar. Is it wrong for me to want to help those who may not survive without it?"

"Sakura's a powerful woman, Corrin," Kamui explained, "I think she might have a much greater sway in the war than you're giving her credit for."

"Even if that is true, I don't want to subject her to that," Corrin asserted, "She wants to help people; not hurt them. I don't want to put her through any more of that than is absolutely necessary."

"Hey, you're the brains of this operation, brother." Kamui shrugged, "Tell me who to point my sword at and I'll take your word for it."

"You would really trust me that soon?" Corrin looked surprised.

"My mind wasn't my own," Kamui indicated, "And I see that my retainers have trusted you this far without trying to defect to me right away."

"Of course, milady," Jakob pointed out ,"you do realize that we are ready to do so at a moment's notice should you disagree with the path your brother has chosen." He seemed either oblivious to the seething looks Roku and Zenzi both shot him, or simply noticed and chose not to care.

"That won't be necessary," Kamui chortled, "but I want to know your plan of action."

"We've got a lot we need to discuss," Corrin pointed out, right as a bolt of lightning struck not too far in the distance, "but judging by the looks of everyone here, doing so in a place safer and quieter than this would be appreciated."

"Oh right!" Kamui laughed, before pulling out a charm. "Good to know I didn't lose this when I was possessed. Now let's see…"

She brought the odd charm to her mouth and blew into it almost like a whistle. Almost as if it were a summoning of sorts (Azura had a very shrewd theory that it was), Lilith appeared in front of Kamui, still in her fish-like form.

"Am I beckoned, Lady Kamui?" she chirped.

Gunter, Jakob and Felicia all immediately popped questions about Lilith, and Kamui shook her head. "Corrin's right," she pointed out, "let's get somewhere less shitty than this place—you know, like literally just about anywhere short of maybe where we just were. Lilith?"

"Right way, milady!" Lillith cooed. Suddenly all eight of them as well as Lilith were transported via a flash of light, and appeared in front of a vast open field in the shadow of a magnificent Hoshidan castle.

"Welcome one, welcome all, to Fort Kamui!" Kamui beamed, a little playful pride showing in her eyes, "except Lilith, to whom I say 'welcome back, and thank you', instead."

"Always a pleasure, Kamui dear." Lillith cooed.

"Now," Kamui turned to Corrin, putting her hands on his shoulders. "We need to talk."

"That we do," Corrin agreed, "I've got a lot to ask, and a lot to tell."

"Then let's make ourselves at home," Kamui motioned towards the magnificent castle overlooking the vast plains and fields of 'Fort Kamui'. "We can have our discussions in my newly built castle rather than on some rickety bridge in the middle of buttcrack nowhere."

"Heh," Corrin chuckled as Kamui led him to the castle, "Lead on then."

* * *

 _ **AFTERTHOUGHTS:** Kamui joins Corrin's army. Obviously that means we'll be seeing more of her, but if the next chapter or two are anything to go off of, I think that Corrin is now fully in the primary focus and so we'll keep seeing a lot of him in the meantime too, especially as the fighting continues. Also on that note, while many players give their avatar the same birthday as their own, I did not do so. There's no real significance to 19 July to me other than just being an arbitrary date chosen to be Corrin and Kamui's birthday. Just a little fun fact for the day._

* * *

 ** _CHARACTERS RECRUITED:_**

 _ **Kamui:** A princess raised in Nohr after being abducted from Hoshido as a child, and growing up there has shaped her into a rather strong and talented warrior. The Dusk Dragon Incarnate, she can change into a dragon and wield the sacred Dusk Yato. A sharp-witted realist, she is slow to make friends, but is in it for life to those who befriend her. Familial bonds are central in her life, and she vehemently defends them without fail. The one with the most scars. Born on 19 July (Age 20)  
Classes: Berserker/Nohr Noble  
_


	40. Chapter 40: The Battle Plan

**AUTHOR'S NOTES:** _So with NaNoWriMo going on, I'm temporarily reducing the update frequency of this story to once a week (Mondays) for the time being. After November ends and December begins, I will attempt to resume the twice-a-week schedule as soon as possible. Thanks for bearing with me on that. Anyhoo, this is a breather chapter before Team Corrin starts hitting Hoshido, and we get to see a bit more about how our friends Roku and Zenzi feel about Hoshido and the current state of their lives.  
Happy Reading!_

 **CHAPTER 40: The Battle Plan**

 _Sing with me a song of Tactics and Schemes…_

Corrin and Kamui had a lengthy exchange, and since it wasn't exactly private, they were soon joined by Gunter, Felicia, Roku, Zenzi, and Jakob. Azura was mysteriously absent, but the twins both seemed to agree that she was aware of much more than she let on about, and that she generally asked questions on the rare occasions she had them.

"So what I want to know is this," Corrin asserted, "While you were possessed, you spoke of Father and of someone called "The Exalted One". Who are they? Which father are you referring to, on that note?"

"I can't say much because of the curse obviously," Kamui explained bluntly, "but apparently the great dragon god… you-know-who… is our father. It explains so much. Think about it—was Sumeragi a dragon? Was Garon a dragon? Are Hinoka or Ryoma dragons? Are Camilla and Xander dragons? For that matter, why are you called the Dawn Dragon and me the Dusk Dragon? That's no coincidence, brother."

"Then who was Sumeragi…" Corrin looked a little shaken.

"Perhaps he was just a good man who adopted you the way Camilla and my other Nohrian siblings adopted me," Kamui smirked, "but that doesn't matter now. What matters is that a woman known only as The Exalted One is pulling serious strings behind you-know-who, and she's pulling those strings from you-know-where."

"I take it that's the same thing that's possessing people?" Corrin frowned.

"That's what possessed me," Kamui shrugged, "and I don't really remember much of went down on the battlefield. What happened?"

"Kagero, who turned out to be Zola, sent a shockwave of some sort through the field, and afterwards, all of your siblings and mine had red eyes, including you." Corrin explained, "The only one who avoided it besides you and I was Sakura. She's the reason Azura and my retainers were able to escape from there. We ran into your friend Felicia there, and she followed us to the canyon. We only pulled Jakob and Gunter out of the mess a few minutes before we found you."

"Then we need a plan," Kamui declared, "and you know me; I'm not much of a strategist. If you want a good solid fighter though, I'm your girl."

"So what are you saying?"

"I'm saying if anyone's going to lead this little holy crusade of ours, it's going to be you. I have the full loyalty of Jakob, Felicia, and Gunter; you've got Roku, Zenzi, and Azura, and you're more a leader. I'm more a warrior. While I'm clearly the superior fighter, you're better at tactics and keeping people alive. That's what's going to matter the most by the time we get to the bottom of this and stop the Exalted One."

"That reminds me," Corrin raised his eyebrow, "sister, do you or Azura know anything about who this might be? Because I'm at a loss."

"Azura probably knows everything and isn't telling is jack squat," Kamui shrugged a shoulder, "but on a more serious note; no, I don't know anything about her except her title. I didn't even see her at all while I was you-know-where."

She paused, "also—did you say that Zola was impersonating Kagero?"

"He was, which means the real Kagero is in trouble somewhere. I wish to find her as soon as possible if we can."

"Hey," Kamui nudged him, "you're the leader, boss. If you want to drop everything and find Kagero, we'll drop everything and find Kagero."

"As much as I might like to do that, it would probably be more crucial to our efforts to find Sakura first and go from there. You might not like my idea, Kamui, but I think we should start in Hoshido."

"I'll bite," Kamui tilted her head, "but I want to know your reasoning."

"Barring the fact that Sakura needs our help the most considering that she's going against her other three siblings," Corrin began, "If there are sorcerers in Nohr like Zola or whoever he's working for still running around, they could reverse a lot of the damage we do right away, and then we've just wasted our time. If we can get the forces of Hoshido and have an extra force to stop whatever else tries interloping when we move to free Nohr, I feel like that would work to our best advantage."

Kamui did not respond, but seemed mixed between distrusting and mulling it over.

"I can understand your conflict, sister," Corrin sighed, "and you have full reason not to trust me because of it. I am simply trying to minimize as many casualties as possible in a war that is inevitable."

"I can understand that," Kamui shook her head, "but it has even me a little bit worried. I will cooperate with you fully, brother; but on one condition."

"Let's hear it," Corrin fanned his hands out, "we can probably figure something out as long as it's not too unreasonable or something."

"At the earliest convenience," Kamui began, "I want to find and confront Camilla." Kamui explained, "Not only is she a powerful and formidable ally who would have absolute loyalty to us because of her loyalty to me, but she is also one of the most powerful and dangerous individuals in Nohr. That's something we want on our side as soon as possible—or at least not on our enemy's side."

Corrin paused, and even Gunter turned to look at Kamui.

"There's more to it than that though, isn't there, Lady Kamui?"

"You know me too well, Gunter," Kamui sighed, "aye; it's a kind of emotional attachment. She's been with me almost my whole life, and with me knowing what's happening to her, it's tearing me apart inside, Corrin."

"I'll see what I can do," Corrin took Kamui's hands. "The problem is that you know as much about what's going on as I do, and so this is going to be something of a blind plunge for both of us. Still… if she means that much to you, I'll try and plan our tactics around that if at all possible. Emotional health is important to a fighter's well-being. If their mind is weighed down by stressful matters, it can be detrimental to their performance."

Kamui thought back immediately to the dual she had had with Xander and Camilla where they had almost literally mopped the floor with her blood. She had been so unfocused because of that weird dream she had had, but now that she was seeing events unfold around her, the dream made sense, but so did Corrin's words.

"Right then," Kamui nodded, before turning to Felicia and Jakob. "You two—especially you, Jakob: Treat any commands by my brother Corrin as commands from me. If there is anything that truly sounds questionable, you may bring it before me before proceeding. Gunter, you probably already realized this too, but the same applies."

"I-I'll do my best!" Felicia promised. "Corrin's motives and intentions s-seem pretty righteous to me though, so hopefully we don't have that problem."

"Well," Jakob's response was a little more curt, "if milady orders it, then I will heed your instruction, Lord Corrin. Do not make me regret that decision."

"I owe Lord Corrin and his crew my life," Gunter admitted, "if Kamui trusts him, then that's all the more reason for me to do the same. You should keep that in mind, Jakob."

"My loyalty is not in question," Jakob reaffirmed, "I simply stated that I would follow Lord Corrin's orders as long as they did not jeopardize Lady Kamui."

"He knows what he's doing," Roku asserted. "Zenzi and I have worked with him for years."

"There's a lot at stake though," Zenzi frowned, "I-I don't think this is the time to make enemies." She clung to Roku a moment later, gripping his arm as if to tell him that there was something really heavy on her mind that she'd trust him to listen to. Were it anyone else, Roku might have pushed them away, but he had worked with Zenzi for long enough that she was one of the few women he didn't seem to fear.

"I agree," Kamui stated in support, "there's too much riding on our success. Corrin and I are not enemies, and as of immediately, neither are Hoshido and Nohr! We know who the common enemy is; we know who needs to be stopped and who needs to be destroyed. We'll find out whoever this 'Exalted One' is, and we'll put her to rest at the end of a blade!"

"Then it's settled," Corrin declared, "for now, everyone rest up. We've got a long day ahead of us tomorrow, by the which time I will have a plan laid out for what to do."

With that, everyone dispersed, while Roku turned to Zenzi once they were out of everyone else's earshot. "What do you need?" he grunted.

"I-I feel like this alliance is shaky," Zenzi mumbled. "And it reminds me of the final days back home. I don't want that to happen to these people here."

"I don't want that to happen either." Roku sighed, "I've heard the fantasy stories of the other timelines… ours was not so lucky. My wife, my daughter…"

"Roku…" Zenzi put her arms around him and sighed on his shoulder, "That's why we came here though, isn't it? We'll live better lives in Hoshido and Nohr than we will in Ylisse or Ferox."

"I hope so," Roku sighed, "because I have no intention of returning to the destitute world I left."

"You're not?" Zenzi pulled back and looked at him.

"I have nothing there but you and Arozza," he reasoned, "and I have both of you here. We should support Lady Kamui's attempts at freeing Princess Camilla. If Arozza is one of her retainers, then we'll find her if we find Camilla."

"I don't really want to go back either," Zenzi whimpered, "I… I guess I just feel a little more confident in saying it now that I know you feel the same way."

"Again, I've heard stories of those other timelines," Roku shook her head, "but even if they are true, I have no interest in them. If I am living in another time with my wife and child, then I should not interfere. That is their family, and this is mine."

"I-I understand." Zenzi sighed, "I still miss them too though. I guess I kind of feel envious of myself in some other time if Gaius and Inigo are still alive there."

"Severa…" Roku actually cracked a half-smile, "I was pretty sure she'd drive me into the ground with her stubbornness and abrasiveness. And yet now… I'd give anything just to hold her in my arms again. That was the last time I saw her…"

"Gods, but that was so terrible to witness!" Zenzi's eyes watered as she remembered the scene. Lon'qu had returned with Severa's lifeless corpse. Olivia had been one of the few to witness it, for she was one of the only survivors. Those days were behind them now.

"I won't pretend I was oblivious to your own agony, Zenzi," Roku took her hand, "but you know me. I'm not one to speak much to people—especially not women."

"You've made quite the exception for me thus far," Zenzi smiled sweetly, "or is Zenzi easier to interact with than Olivia?"

"Yes and no," Roku closed his eyes, "We bonded before as allies, and I had no desire to get much closer or personal with a married woman. Now though… with both of us widowed and childless as we are… I suppose that I opened up more."

"Perhaps it's for the better that we are here then," Zenzi sighed, "perhaps Lon'qu and Olivia are no more. Maybe it's time for Roku and Zenzi to remain permanent."

"I am not above making this name change permanent," Roku nodded, "The new life I've started is happier than the one I left behind."

"To be honest, I've wanted to remain Zenzi for months now," Zenzi admitted. "We can start fresh; become Hoshidans instead of cling to a past where nothing waits for us."

"As long as I can do it with you at my side…" Roku smirked, "then I'll follow you into this new life at your side. Let's remain vigilant; stab our enemies, and liberate our friends."

"Of course!" Zenzi jumped excitedly, "one step at a time, Roku. One step at a time…"

Roku and Zenzi headed back inside the castle proper to get some actual rest, and while they did not speak of this turning point in their lives to anyone else, they both knew that this was a bold endeavor that would hopefully improve their morale from here on out.


	41. Chapter 41: Much-Welcomed Guests

**AUTHOR'S NOTES:** _I apologize for the slow pace this story has taken over the course of this month. NaNoWriMo is kicking my butt, and the release of Pokemon Sun & Moon did not help it in the slightest. Still, I plan to update at least once a week through the month of November, and then hopefully resume my twice a week posting as soon as possible once December hits. It's also worth noting that I went back and added "classes" to each character bio, which explain a character's general combat behaviour. With that, here's the new chapter. Sorry again about the wait.  
Happy Reading!_

 **CHAPTER 41: Much-Welcomed Guests**

 _Sing with me a song of Chaos and Strife…_

The next morning Corrin and his army woke up feeling much better than they did the day before. It was unclear how time functioned here versus out in the real world, but Corrin wanted to find out. Before he could leave the perimeter, however, he was stopped by Zenzi.

"Lord Corrin!" she called out, "where are you going?"

"I want to poke my head into the real world," he began, "I want to see how time passes in here compared to out there."

"Why not ask Lady Kamui?" she inquired.

"Do you think she knows either?" Corrin tilted his head.

"She seems to know how this Astral Castle works," Zenzi pointed out, "I mean, that building wasn't there last night." she motioned towards a small building that appeared to be a Nohrian armory. Corrin looked at the place before realizing that Zenzi had a point.

"Let's find Kamui then," He concurred, and the two set off across the grounds to search for her.

Incidentally, Kamui had tested Corrin's theory earlier that morning, but came to no solid conclusions. It seemed time seemed to sort of stop at some points and then flow normally at others. That was not what ended up being on the little princess' mind that morning, however. Instead, her focus was on an unexpected guest.

"You!" she woman brandished a spear in self-defense. Kamui pulled out a massive axe but took a defensive stance to indicate that while she did not intend hostilities, that she was not afraid to defend herself, "Wait… I know you. You're that cute fashionista girl Camilla really took a liking to."

"Where's Lord Corrin?" Oboro demanded, "I've been looking for him everywhere!"

Kamui noticed that she looked worse for wear as if she had gotten into several altercations on her way out to the border. "He's safe." she replied, "and I'm not going on some homicidal rampage anymore, so let's put our weapons away."

"Can you really blame me for being a bit paranoid after what happened on the battlefield?" Kamui noticed Oboro's eyes were bloodshot, and there was a manic look to her visage even as she tried taking deep breaths to calm down.

"Easy there, girl," Kamui cautiously approached Oboro, "let me help you get somewhere safer than the border. Corrin's there and you can talk to him about it."

Oboro hissed as Kamui took her arm, though it was clear by the way she was carrying herself that she was hardly in any condition to really fight back and that her reaction had more been in defense rather than aggression. Unsurprisingly, she was awestruck at the astral castle just as much as anyone else was upon seeing it for the first time.

"Welcome to New Kamui," Kamui smirked, "I'm sure you've got tons of questions, but if there's anything I can do to ease your pain, let me know. My retainer Felicia is here and she's a spectacular healer who has been instructed to help anyone I bring onto these grounds. If you need me, I'll just be taking a dip in this spring."

"Ohh…" Oboro heaved a heavy sigh, "a warm bath right now would be absolutely heavenly."

"That can be arranged." Kamui promised, and no more than 6½ minutes later, both of them were soaking in a soothing hotspring. Oboro had even let her hair down, which Kamui only realized then and there was something she had never seen Oboro do before.

"So what happened?" Kamui asked after giving her new friend a moment to collect herself.

"You seem awfully talkative," Oboro raised an eyebrow before leaning back, "what happened to shy, antisocial Kamui?"

"My sister seemed very fond of you," Kamui replied, "and so I admit I want to know who you are."

"Don't get all suspicious with me, Nohrian," Oboro's left eye twitched, "especially not right now. Today's been one of those days and I am in a MOOD."

"I take it things have gotten worse out there instead of better, eh?"

"Hoshido is in chaos," Oboro began, "and it's not even Nohr's doing unless they're the ones behind all of this mind-controlling nonsense. Lord Takumi ran south, Lord Ryoma went east, Lady Hinoka disappeared entirely, and poor little Lady Sakura is on the run."

"How did you escape all of that?" Kamui tilted her head.

"I don't know!" Oboro shook her head, "I kind of just willed it out of me. Trust me, I'm not that foul rat Zola or whoever his "Exalted Master" is or whatever. Thinking about it and everything that happened there still makes me seethe..."

Kamui actually flinched as Oboro's face contorted into a demonic gaze that almost literally heated the water a few degrees. "Oboro?" she managed to snap the girl out of her trancelike behaviour for a moment.

"Huh? What?" She snapped her head towards Kamui.

"You were doing that thing again." Kamui reached over to take Oboro's hand, "I understand you don't trust me for being Nohrian, but I trust you. My sister Camilla trusted you, and she's known for having pretty good judgment—at least to me."

"I'm sorry that I can't trust so swiftly," Oboro sighed. "It's complicated."

"No, I know that," Kamui shook her head, "and I don't expect you to. Normally I'm really slow to trust people too. With all of this new nonsense going on though, it's probably for the best if we not only tell you what's going on, but also reassure you that we're all on the same side for the same reason and same efforts. Corrin could tell it better than I could."

"Yeah, but even if he does, I don't exactly want to share a bath with him." Oboro quipped.

"You won't have to!" Kamui laughed, "Although remind me and I'll see if I can convince the others to let me upgrade this to a full-on hot spring."

Oboro tilted her head as she glanced at Kamui, and the dragon corrected herself.

"Aye; priorities, priorities." she shook her head, "I'll tell Corrin what's happening. You just stay put and relax some more. You look exhausted."

Oboro had a mixed reaction to Kamui's words, and while she actually attempted to rise to her feet to protest, she realized only then how tired her limbs were, so she sighed and resigned to her fate for the time being as Kamui went to find her brother.

Corrin nearly jumped right out of his skin when the door if his study flew off its hinges, Kamui's left foot still in the air from where she had kicked it.

"Really, sister?" he scowled, "really!? Why the hell did you kick my door in?"

"Theatrics," Kamui confessed, "I didn't know it would fly off the hinges like that. Remind me and I'll get that fixed for you. That's not why I'm here though."

"Don't worry about it; I can fix it myself." Corrin shrugged, "but if kicking my door in is not your reason for showing up, what is?"

"Your buddy Oboro showed up just now; and we had a little chat." Kamui began, "she looks like she's seen a lot more shit than you or I have."

"Is she alright though?" Corrin expressed his concern.

"Nothing a little bath and some healing can't fix," Kamui indicated, before smirking deviously. "In fact, I told her you were going to come find her."

"Lead on then," Corrin rose to his feet, "there's a lot she is probably not aware of."

To Kamui's slight disappointment, Corrin did not walk in on Oboro as she bathed, but instead met her right as she was walking out of the bathhouse and doing her hair up.

"Oh, Lord Corrin!" she exclaimed as she did her hair, "your sister told me I should find you."

"Aye," Corrin nodded, "there's a lot to discuss."

Corrin gave Oboro the rundown of what had transpired in her absence, explaining Valla in a very roundabout way to avoid the curse. Fortunately for him, Oboro understood what he was getting at, and vowed to help."

"Really, I'm more surprised that this wasn't actually Nohr's doing." she commented, "but I guess if Kamui was taken control of too, I guess it makes sense that whoever did this is working for a third party."

"That was my thought as well," Corrin nodded, "but it begs a question for you—has anyone back home said anything about "The Exalted One"?"

"Yes, actually!" Oboro exclaimed, "How did you know about her?"

"Kamui mentioned it a few times while she was under that same control." Corrin explained, "I'm not a betting man, but I'd be willing to put a considerable amount of coin on saying that this "Exalted One" had a hand in possessing the royals on both sides except Sakura."

"Lady Sakura was en route to Fort Jinya last I checked," Oboro pointed out, "and she knows more about where Lord Takumi and the others disappeared to. We need to find her and rescue her as soon as possible."

"If anything, I'm more worried about those who fight her," a mellow voice spoke up from behind them. Corrin jumped and Oboro glared, revealing the culprit as Azura.

"Sakura is much more powerful than she likes to let others on about." she continued, "I think we all saw that truth on the border battlefield."

"We need to get moving though," Corrin warned, "even if Sakura is that powerful, I'd rather not force her hand. We need to move on Fort Jinya, and we're heinously outnumbered.

There was a loud bang on the door and the sound of a woman cursing loudly.

"Seriously, sister?" he rolled his eyes as he heard the sound of a lock click, and then the door flew open again as Kamui appeared in the doorway.

"So we've got one more on our side now," she announced, "Boys and girls, I want you to meet my publisher—Anna!"

A red-haired woman clad in a cape and carrying a bow stepped out from behind them.

"Anna here," she beamed, "and I love money. I can't exactly run a profitable business with two countries that are destroyed, so when I heard about the war effort, I decided to pitch in. Besides, I've got some of the best suppliers for weapons and gear. I'm sure I can help organize a few discounts and other promotions in no time flat!"

"At this point, anyone willing to help us should be invited to do so," Corrin suggested.

"Well, you've got me with my axes and magic, and Felicia's also pretty good with a sword, not just a knife. Jakob's a professional knife-fighter, and Gunter's a reliable knight. You're good with swords and staves, brother and you know... we're both freaking dragons."

"And we've got Oboro's spear, Azura's songs, and of course Roku and Zenzi's swordsmanship. So our goal, Kamui, is basically to try and find Sakura and take Fort Jinya with as few casualties as possible. Hoshido is under the same spell that you and Nohr are, and so we are going to face resistance. Just know that I'm not trying to spare people out of my dislike for violence, but because this is something that they are not in control of."

"No, I totally get you this time, brother." Kamui pointed out, "I'll see if we can get Lilith to take us as close as we can. We'll strike from New Kamui, and try to minimize casualties. That's the whole point of this war, is it not?"

"Aye," Corrin sighed, glancing out towards the magnificent castle grounds of New Kamui, contemplating what they were about to do. "That it is."

"Welp, get ready then, brother," Kamui turned and left the castle to find her retainers, "because ready or not… we attack the fort at dawn."

* * *

 ** _CHARACTERS RECRUITED:_**

 _ **Oboro:** A Hoshidan spear master who serves Takumi. Her family ran a tailor shop until her parents were killed by Nohrians, causing her to develop an extreme prejudice against them. She acknowledges this fault and will often attempt to try and correct it, but still often struggles to. Despite this, she still loves fashion, and it does not take much to convince her to design outfits for anyone of any origin. The one with the most terrifying glare. Born on 28 November (Age 19)  
Classes: Spear Master/Oni Chieftain_

 _ **Anna:** A merchant who travels the world. Her many identical sisters do the same thing and then some. She is charismatic and curious, but completely obsessed with wealth. There are numerous theories as to where all the Annas come from, but attempts to discover further information are usually just met with Anna smirking before walking away. Has more side jobs than anyone in the army. Born on 10 June (Age 22)  
Classes: Merchant/Adventurer_


	42. Chapter 42: The Fort Jinya Approach

**AUTHOR'S NOTES** _: With NaNoWriMo done and over for the time being, I hope to be able to resume my regular update schedule once again. I am not fully back at 100% just yet due to the holiday season and whatnot, but I should be able to update much more regularly. This chapter, for example, was supposed to come out Monday, but then it got pushed back to Wednesday, and finally to today, which is why I'm posting it a couple hours earlier than normal. So to recap, update schedule is not normal yet, but I'll keep people updated (or check my profile; I always have things up to date there). Also, happy (slightly) late birthdays to my two favourite characters in the game, Oboro (28th) and Camilla (30th).  
Happy Reading!_

 **CHAPTER 42: The Fort Jinya Approach**

 _Sing with me a song of Traitors and Forts…_

Kamui's statement about 'attacking the fort at dawn' had been slightly more figurative, considering that even she with her reckless nature as a berserker knew that planning out the strategy to prevent them from being killed was necessary.

"Besides," she added, "it was more a reference to how differently time flows here and back in the real world… but I'll have to get back to you on that."

As such, Corrin, his sister, and his army began making preparations to attack Fort Jinya immediately. Their army was small and Corrin was well-aware of how vast the defenses of the fortress were. A lot of how well this campaign would go would depend on how well Sakura was faring.

"I think despite our attempts at peaceful negotiations, we're still going to either have to pray that there are dragon veins to smash through the walls, or I'm going to have to go all berserker and hope that my axe can do that for us."

"I wish there was more I could tell you about the situation, Lord Corrin," Oboro sighed, "There's order among the chaos, but it's not the good kind; it's more the kind that seeps in and seems hell-bent on stopping you."

"Me in particular?" Corrin raised an eyebrow.

"You and Azura were the only ones apart from Lady Sakura that were spared from that curse," Oboro explained, "sure you've freed Lady Kamui, but most of Hoshido is still frantic. There's no sign of Lord Ryoma, Lord Takumi's gone missing, Lady Hinoka fled far to the south, and Lady Sakura is either trying to seek refuge from all of this nonsense in the fort."

"We can find out for sure once Anna gets back," Kamui pointed out, "she's good at spying and recon and all that fun jazz. Besides, I'll come clean with you guys—I have no clue how time works here either. Lilith couldn't give me any good intel on that either."

It was a couple of days in the Astral Plane before Anna returned with her report. Before even opening her mouth, she extended her hand, palm-up, in front of Kamui. Kamui groaned, and dropped a pouch of coins into Anna's outstretched hand.

"Anyways," Anna began as if she had just been talking the whole time, "what I've picked up is that they've captured Sakura."

"NO!" Oboro slammed her fist on the table, "who captured her!?"

"The rogue Hoshidans… so basically everyone," Anna indicated, "but the good news is that they're not actually harming her. They simply took her into their fortress. They're probably trying to convert her, which means that either Sakura's going to free them from this influence, or they'll get her. My money's frankly on Sakura, and I generally don't bet unless I know I'll win."

"We need a plan," Kamui turned to Corrin and to Oboro. "You're the mastermind strategist here. Me and mine are in your hands."

"What can you tell us about the defenses?" Corrin turned to Anna, "anything?"

"Hmm…" Anna put a finger to her lips before whipping out a pencil and paper. "Here's what me and my network were able to perceive…" she held her free hand out.

"You're gonna have to pay her," Kamui quipped. Corrin rolled his eyes, but dropped a small pouch of gold into Anna's awaiting hand before the red-haired woman began furiously scribbling. It turned out not to even be scribbling by the time she finished, but it was a fairly accurate depiction of Fort Jinya.

"How accurate is this?" Corrin didn't necessarily distrust Anna, but he wanted to be able to plan accordingly, especially when his army thus far was still considerably small.

"My network of spies is pretty comprehensive," Anna retorted, "and as much as I like money, I try to run an honest business. Customers aren't going to come back if they're lied to."

"Then what we need is an advance force of our fastest or strongest members to get through or around the maze of walls," Corrin began, "and to carve a path for those behind them."

"I volunteer," Kamui raised her hand, "I'm sure I could get Gunter and even my retainers to go with me if needs be. Oboro might also be a good pick, and maybe Anna if my retainers stay behind with the remainder of your force."

Corrin paused and thought a moment as he glanced down at the map on the table. It was only when Kamui looked at it again that she realized the miniatures were intricate carvings of the members of their army: herself, Corrin, Gunter, Jakob, Felicia, Anna, Roku, Zenzi, Oboro, and Azura. He looked up at the others a moment later.

"I think I have it," he explained, "Jakob and Anna will be the spies that scout out the area. We'll have to incapacitate as many of the advance guards as we can. Ideally I want to keep casualties to a minimum, and so if killing can be avoided, do so. If not…"

"...then we understand." Kamui finished his sentence for him. "It's better to take out a few lives to save thousands of others, but let's stick to the subject at hand. So Anna and Jakob make the advance force. Where am I?"

"Actually, you, Gunter, and Oboro will make up the advance force." Corrin clarified, "Jakob and Anna are more of a silencer force to thin out enemies. I don't know if this is safe for me to ask you, sister, but…"

"C'mon," Kamui shrugged, "let's hear it."

"I feel safer asking this of Oboro, to be honest actually," Corrin scratched his head, "Since this is Hoshido and her liege's sister we're going for here."

"That doesn't answer my question," Kamui crossed her arms.

"Basically…" Corrin sighed, "I want your force to be the one that draws the most attention. You will be dealing with the most enemies right up close and personal. Essentially, your lives will be in the most danger during this battle."

"I am willing to do what it takes to free Lady Sakura," Oboro put her fist to her chest.

"Aaaaand?" Kamui gestured towards Corrin, "what's the bad part?"

"You're really willing to do that?" Corrin tilted his head as he stared at his sister, "you're going to put your life and well-being on the line to try and save people from a country you hardly know?"

"What of it?" Kamui shrugged, "if you don't want me to do it, then don't ask me to do it. If you want me to knock heads together and carve a path for you and the others, I will. I'm sure I can get my old man to help out on that too. It's been awhile since he's had a good battle, he says."

"I…" Corrin was at a loss for words for the moment. "I don't know if you realize how much this means to me, Kamui… but thank you."

"Don't sweat it," Kamui chuckled, "you can thank me after we've saved Sakura. Maybe we can gain a little more insight as to what the hell's going on down there."

"Right," Corrin nodded, "Anyways, after you three, we'll have Roku and Zenzi as well as myself move in, with Felicia and Azura taking the rear. If they try to surround us, we'll rearrange as necessary. Are there any objections?"

"None from us," Kamui and Oboro agreed, as Kamui continued to speak, "but I'll go inform my retainers of what's going on. You let yours know the deal, and we'll meet back up after we're armed and ready to have at it."

The small army reunited shortly afterwards, and Lilith helped them return to Hoshido. In front of them stood a massive network of walls and a vast fortress that looked impenetrable.

"This is it…" Azura muttered, "Fort Jinya. This is essentially Hoshido's front line, and it's rumored to be impregnable."

"Just how impregnable are we talking…" Kamui brandished her sword.

"Seizing this is basically tantamount to conquering Hoshido," Oboro gripped her spear as her left eye twitched slightly, "every time Nohrians have tried to break through, this is the way they go."

"Easy there…" Kamui put a surprisingly gentle hand on Oboro's shoulder, "we're not marauders, and we're not trying to conquer Hoshido. We're trying to free it… right, Corrin?"

"Of course," Corrin nodded, "Now… everyone, do as we planned."

Jakob and Anna launched the first movement, disappearing past the maze of walls to scout out what lay ahead. Both of them seemed to be subtly trying to outperform the other.

"I'm impressed that you're able to remain so subtle." Anna quipped. "I wouldn't have thought it from a servant."

"My talents extend far beyond those of the buttling arts, I'll have you know," Jakob corrected her, "Lady Kamui relies on me for more than just service. You on the other hand, seem a lot more like the type of person who would get caught because her bags of gold jingled too loudly."

"I'll have you know I work for a living," Anna corrected him, "and am in more places than you could ever dream of."

"Somehow that does not greatly surprise me." Jakob muttered, "But have you noticed the rather glaring oddity about this place so far?"

"You mean that there aren't any soldiers to hear us banter?" Anna raised her eyebrow.

"Precisely," Jakob frowned. "I will remain here. You alert the others that the path is clear to the primary fortress. Do try not to get lost or captured."

"Not on your life, butler," Anna winked, teasingly blowing him a kiss before scampering off the way they came. Jakob moved closer and closer, and while there were a few soldiers that he had to silence or incapacitate, his report of the fortress being mostly deserted rang true.

As a result, Kamui, Gunter, and Oboro moved in, they were spotted by the Hoshidan commander, mounted atop one of the mechanical beasts that were a staple of Hoshidan military tricks. Oboro recognized him right away.

"Yukimura…" she muttered, before noticing his eyes. While they were not red, there was a certain blankness to them that Oboro did not recognize, but knew that it was not something good. She turned to the others, warning them, although her hunch was soon proved true as Yukimura noticed them a moment later.

"You!" he pointed at Kamui, "you have quite some nerve returning here, Kamui. And Oboro… of all people to turn traitor to Hoshido, you were the last one I would have ever suspected."

"Do you really think I'm fighting for the Nohrians?!" Oboro looked infuriated at the mere accusation, and even drew her spear. "You take that back this INSTANT or I will gut you where you stand; do you hear me!?"

"Never," Yukimura frowned, and Oboro swung. The Yukimura in front of them faded, and called out to them from atop the wall.

"I knew that you were traitors; every single one of you!" Yukimura bellowed, "You will not take Sakura from us! Saizo! Orochi! Soldiers! Prepare for battle!"

Almost as if they were waiting for this as as some sort of cue, dozens of soldiers came out of the woodwork and surrounded the fortress.

"You remember what Corrin said, right?" Kamui turned to Gunter and Oboro, both of whom clutched their lances righter.

"Of course," Gunter grunted, "we're fighting to free Hoshido."

"Of course," Oboro nodded as well, "They shouldn't have done this!"

"Then let's make our move," Kamui drew her sword. "FOR FEREVS!"

The unlikely alliance raced forward, keeping their weapons readied, and waiting for the opportune moment to strike out at their foes. The Battle of Fort Jinya had begun.


	43. Chapter 43: The Battle of Fort Jinya

**AUTHOR'S NOTES:** _Due to the holiday season, updating will be a little slower than usual, but I should be able to get back on course around early January or something. In the meantime, here's the long-awaited battle at Fort Jinya. Like the game, it's not a very long skirmish, but it gets covered in this chapter. I'm still adding the characters joining the roster to the bottom of their respective chapters, but Rinkah does not join Corrin yet, and Sakura technically has not extended the offer yet either._  
 _Anyways, Happy Reading!_

 **CHAPTER 43: The Battle of Fort Jinya**

 _Sing with me a song of Ninjas and Dawn..._

The battle for Fort Jinya was a difficult endeavour because of the self-imposed handicap Corrin had placed upon himself and his army. While they were merely fighting to incapacitate the Hoshidans (with the desire to later free them from the curse), they were all trying to slay Corrin and company. Fortunately, the advance guard that Corrin had sent forward consisted of his most powerful soldiers, and neither Kamui nor Oboro feared for their lives.

"Sorry to do this, buddy," she warned, "but it's between letting you kill me, and me putting you in a world of hurt to prevent this curse from gripping anyone else."

Kamui took aim at a priestess and knocked her clean out as she advanced. Even as strong as she was, her agility kept her out of harm's way 9 times out of 10. The "10th" blow that actually struck her, however, had Kamui reeling back as she pulled a shuriken out of her shoulder.

"I am Saizo," the red-haired owner of the shuriken warned, "retainer to Lord Ryoma. He has labelled you a traitor, and so it's my duty to ensure you die, here and now."

"I would try explaining…" Kamui deflected another blade from taking her left eye out, "something about your blank-looking eyes makes me assume and realize you're not really in any condition to listen to reason."

"Do you really think you can stand against me?" Saizo taunted, pressuring Kamui with shurikens to try and keep her on the defensive,

"Do you really think I have no friends?" Kamui quipped, "Because that might be true. But I've got people watching out for me just as you do."

Almost as if this was his cue, Roku appeared and deflected Saizo's blade with a swing of his sword. He glared at Saizo for a moment before speaking as well.

"My liege's sister is as important to him as he is to me." he warned, "your options are to back off or we'll make it happen."

"I cannot allow it to happen, Yukimura appeared behind Saizo and blasted Kamui off her feet with a well-placed bolt. "Even now you march on the land you swore fealty to. It seems that the Exalted One's offer to protect Hoshido from traitors and marauders was accepted in sound judgment. Away with you!"

Yukimura replicated himself again and while everyone in front of him was fairly certain that the nearby one had to be the real one, Roku's slash rendered the illusion a fake, and Yukimura simply reappeared in a different place.

"Of all the…" Jakob stammered as he reached Kamui's side to ensure she was alright.

"Hoshidan magic," Roku grunted as Zenzi sprang out of nowhere to deal with Saizo, whose confidence had been bolstered by the brief aid from Hoshido's mastermind. Azura's songs did not have the same effect on these soldiers that they had had on Kamui, indicating to Corrin that this was not the same type of curse. This very well might have been voluntary, albeit based on false information.

"Yukimura!" Corrin bellowed, "We don't have to do this! How can you not see your own deception? You hide Sakura from us and attempt to kill us merely for trying to expose the truth."

"You truly have quite the nerve showing your face here, Lord Traitor," Yukimura responded, raining a volley of arrows on Corrin and his army from mechanized soldiers and Hoshidan archers, "I could expect your Nohrian sister to cling to her primal urge to desert and betray Hoshido, but you and your retainers always acted so loyal. Alas, it is I who now stands the fool for buying into that nonsense… but no longer!"

"Corrin..." Azura spoke up, deftly twirling a lance to defend herself as she reached Corrin.

"And the same goes to you, Lady Azura," Yukimura continued, "You were raised like any other princess of Hoshido, and yet you seem just as eager to turn your back on your family without any sense of remorse. What say you in your defense?"

Azura paused for a moment, but Yukimura continued as if he had planned to interrupt her anyways. "I suppose you never truly thought of it as your home either." he sighed, "perhaps you and Kamui have more in common than I first thought."

"You're wrong!" Corrin shouted, "And I'll prove it to you!"

"Nothing you say will convince us otherwise save for your death as atonement," Yukimura warned, "Saizo, Orochi… I tire of this tomfoolery. Bring them down."

Corrin groaned, and this time Kamui put a hand on his shoulder.

"Nothing's working," he shook his head, "what do we do?"

"We fight." Kamui frowned. "Once you convince a man that hatred can be righteous… once you convince a man that there is an evil out there that deserves no mercy… there are few who are willing to let that belief go without a fight. Welcome to Nohr under Garon. Also, hold that thought; we've got company."

Orochi and Saizo returned from the woodwork and began pressing their attack of shuriken and magical spirits to push Corrin's little army into the defensive. Despite these odds, there was still not a single casualty on either side yet. Kamui was sparked back into action when she noticed a familiar fiery individual on the battlefield coming right for her.

"Rinkah!?" she gawked, clutching her Yato tighter, "don't tell me they got you too!?"

"Honestly… I was more fighting for Hoshido because I was told to. I'm not entirely sure about this Yukimura guy's antics. I think it's time I started bashing some heads in."

"Well look around you," Kamui pointed out, "I've got my brother and a handful of people from Nohr and Hoshido together. We haven't actually killed anyone, and we're trying to reach Sakura. Do you really think they've all joined some evil Nohrian blitzkrieg?"

"I'd normally have to give it thought, but I recognize that kid with the spear." Rinkah reasoned, "And there's no way Oboro would ever fight for Nohr."

"So you wanna help us out?" Kamui extended her offer again.

"I'm in," Rinkah brandished her club before turning towards Orochi. Orochi raised an eyebrow upon noticing Rinkah's presence and came at her.

"You are making a grave mistake by assuming your mere strength alone can withstand the might of my magic," Orochi warned, "submit, Flame Princess! Submit to my magic!"

"An Oni Chieftain fears no cheap cantrips, mountebank," Rinkah reacted with fire magic of her own, "Were even a tenth of your alleged abilities genuine, your visions of this moment would have caused you to soil every garment you own. For while you will not die today, thrall of the Exalted One, you will learn to fear The Girl on Fire just as the coward fears the reaper!"

Rinkah followed up with a feint and a blast of fire to keep Orochi on her toes, and then lobbed her club with considerable force at Orochi's head, striking her hard enough to cleanly put her out of commission (and consciousness) for a while.

"Don't get too cocky, 'Girl on Fire'," Saizo turned his attention from Corrin and Zenzi towards Rinkah. "I neither stand able to nor wish to forgive you for this betrayal."

"You won't need to," Rinkah snatched up her club, "for all of your pent-up rage will do you no favours in the grand scheme of things nor even at the end of this hour. Even now you tremble as the malice of your own deception overcomes you. You hesitate for just one meager second and give the Chieftain an opportunity to strike!"

Unlike Orochi, the club that struck Saizo a split-second later did not knock him out fully, but he lay sprawled on his back, dizzy and seeing stars.

"This isn't over…" he grunted, "but I must retreat… for Lord Ryoma. I must live another day."

With Saizo and Orochi gone, this paved the way for Anna, Oboro, and Kamui to take the lead again while Jakob remained back with Felicia to help heal and protect the others. Rinkah kept the others at bay and this teamwork allowed Corrin to land the would-be finishing blow on Yukimura. It was only after the combat slowed that his army was able to catch back up to him, where Corrin led one half of them to take out one of the Yukimuras, while the other half blazed through the automations to reach the 2nd Yukimura. Corrin's group cut down the fake one, causing it to fade into mist once again; while Zenzi finally incapacitated the real one.

"Can it be?" he wheezed as he fell from his mechanical mount, landing on his back. "But so be it. I… accept defeat…"

Zenzi kept her sword pointed at Yukimura until Corrin could return. Seeing him again sparked curiosity in the mechanist.

"I don't understand," he gazed up at Corrin, "we are defeated, and you you spare us?"

"Because it's not you we're after," Corrin explained, "nor is it Hoshido. We're after the threat that rises above the rest. That 'Exalted One' you claimed to serve. We have no leads, however, and so our first goal is unity."

"Even Orochi and Saizo were spared," Kamui affirmed. "This is Nohr and Hoshido uniting to take our home back from invaders that have no right to be here—or even to exist."

"I apologize," Yukimura shakily got to his feet, "but I cannot put Hoshido at risk by defying the will of the Exalted One."

"Then you'll die at my blade," Kamui drew her sword without hesitation.

"No," Corrin stopped her, before turning towards the mechanist. "If you cannot support us, then at the very least, do not try to stop us. We spared your soldiers for a reason, Yukimura. If you cannot see that just yet, then I implore you to first handle your soldiers. We wish to see Sakura without any further inhibitions from you or your army."

"Very well…" Yukimura sighed. He knew he had lost this fight. "But if so much as a hair on her head is harmed while under your so-called protection, not even the gods will know what has become of you when we are through with you."

"I refuse to allow it!" a deep voice shouted, and suddenly, Saizo was on the scene, a large welt and bruise on the side of his head, and a great deal of pyrotechnics in his hands. "If you're going to sabotage Hoshido, then it's my sworn duty to do the same to you first."

The implements in Saizo's hands began glowing, but before he could set anything off, there was a loud and powerful rumble, and suddenly a burst of fire not much different from a Bolganonne knocked Saizo off his feet. From one of the walls of the fortress stood little Sakura, who leapt deftly down until she was at ground level.

"Saizo, I cannot allow you to hurt them!" she cried. "Your brother is here too!"

Almost as if this was his cue, Kaze appeared out of nowhere like ninjas tended to do.

"Brother," Kaze added, "you needn't be so rash. You know as well as I do that Lord Corrin's intentions have always been pure. I can also vouch for Lady Kamui. When I was a prisoner of Nohr, she freed Rinkah and I when she was instructed by King Garon himself to put us to death."

"...fine." Saizo grunted, "I have my own doubts, but I will look into it. In the meantime, Orochi and I need to find Reina and then continue our hunt for the real Kagero."

"That reminds me," Rinkah added, "As fun as it'd be to bash heads alongside your sister again, Corrin, I've got other business I need to attend to. The Flame Tribe cannot offer much apart from my help at this point, but I'm going to see if I can get the Wind Tribe out east to change their minds some. I've got a story I need to share with Cheiftain Fuga, anyways."

"I understand," Corrin gave a sigh of relief. "Thank you for understanding, everyone—or at the very least, bearing with me. We will be happy to assist in whatever ways we can to help with reparations for the damages here, but we must soon be off after that. Fort Jinya might be a win for us here and now, but our greater enemy still stands at large."

There were nods of agreement after Corrin concluded, though these too eventually subsided. For the first time since the skirmish began, the area around Fort Jinya was silent again. One step was complete for now, but many more hurdles lay ahead of them. Corrin hoped his army would be strong enough to tackle them all as they came.

* * *

 **CHARACTERS RECRUITED:**

 **Kaze:** _A Hoshidan ninja who serves as Corrin's retainer. Unlike his older twin brother Saizo, he has a polite and calm demeanor that has earned him many admirers. He remains somewhat oblivious to this, and does not understand why he is often showered with gifts from said admirers. He is loyal to his chosen liege, and is willing to give up his very life for him. The best-liked member of the army. Born on 2 October (Age 23)_  
 _Class: Master Ninja_


	44. Chapter 44: Strong-Willed and Shy

**AUTHOR'S NOTES:** _Regular updating schedule will begin anew sometime in January of 2017, owing primarily now due to the holiday season. If I can find enough time off I will try writing chapters to put into reserve, but I am by no means abandoning this fic; it's just slowing down a little for the time being. In the meantime, here's Sakura and co. I'm trying a couple things differently this time. Since I labelled this story as Romance under genre, that's obviously going to start happening the more characters interact with one another. Ideally I plan to make them interact with multiple others, so just because (for example) Hana and Subaki interact with each other first and alot does not necessarily mean they're going to end up together (or that they won't). That said, I am curious about the direction of this story, and so by all means people, please review. It definitely helps with the ol' motivation.  
Happy Reading! _

**CHAPTER 44: Strong-Willed and Shy**

 _Sing with me a song of Comrades and Calm…_

Sakura went around trying to heal and help the soldiers on both sides of the battlefield, and despite this, it was clear that Yukimura intended to keep his word about their surrender. Even though he did not plan to accompany Corrin, neither he nor any of the Hoshidans stood in his way as they advanced.

While Saizo and Orochi remained behind to help clear the damage, Kaze confronted his brother.

"Brother," he looked Saizo in the eyes, "I would ask for your understanding. I would like to accompany Lord Corrin and his sister on their mission."

"If you are set on that course," Saizo grunted, "then you may do as you wish."

"I am," Kaze declared. "I believe that what Lord Corrin is doing is the right thing; and I hope that you will be able to join us when the time is right."

"I have explained my next mission," Saizo reminded him, "but I will keep that in mind."

"And what of you, Sakura?" Yukimura asked, "You are formidable, but you are also in enough danger as it is. What say you?"

"I would like to go with Corrin…" Sakura mumbled, before cocking her head towards Corrin. "Can I? Please? I'm not very fond of fighting, but I'm sure I can find ways to help."

"Maybe this is just me being a front-line soldier and such," Kamui pointed out, "but Sakura, you're the most powerful wielder of magic I have ever seen. My body might not have been my own on the field, but I saw what you did, and it nearly stopped me."

"Oh, I don't want to try and stop you, Kamui." Sakura shuddered, "you're terrifying on the battlefield; you have the ferocity of the Flame Tribe. Oh! You're hurt!"

Sakura didn't waste any time trying to heal Kamui's injuries. Since she was on the front lines, Kamui was considerably injured from the skirmish; she was just used to shrugging it off, and as such, had been much less careful than Anna, Jakob, and Oboro.

"I'd never say no to you gracing us with your presence, little sister." Corrin smiled. "Welcome aboard. Kamui and I will give you the briefing when we get somewhere safer."

"Just give the word," Kamui offered, "we can go to New Kamui at any time."

"I do wish to find and alert my retainers of where I'm going," Sakura requested, "but if I know them, they should be coming at any moment."

Almost as if waiting for their cue, Corrin and Kamui turned their heads skyward at the sound of a pegasus. Corrin's eyes widened. "It's heading straight for us!"

"Waaah!" Sakura jumped back, but the rider of the pegasus landed his steed gracefully and without incident. With them able to get a closer look at the rider, they realized it was a red-haired man, and that a brown-haired woman was clinging tightly to his waist.

"We've finally caught up with you, milady!" the man address Sakura before leaning back to the woman still tightly clinging to his waist. "Hana? That means we've landed."

"Subaki?" Sakura tilted her head, "what happened? Where were you?"

"No need to worry about us," Subaki slowly pulled Hana's arms off from around him, "we are unhurt; merely delayed in our attempt to come to your aid."

"Goodness!" Sakura gasped as Hana staggered rather ungracefully as she dismounted. "Subaki, why does Hana look absolutely green?"

"I wasn't cut out for the flying business," Hana clutched her mouth. "I apologize, Lady Sakura… I need a moment alone." She disappeared behind a large hedge, and while no one said anything, it was clear from the sounds that she was emptying the contents of her stomach.

"Subaki, you know better than to do that!" Sakura gave her retainer a pouty look.

"Milady," Subaki reasoned, "surely by now you know that I strive for perfection and would never do anything short of that mark. Our friend Kazahana simply does not share the same passion for flying that I and your sister do."

Hana returned a few moments later, still looking slightly pale, but looking much better than she had earlier. "I apologize again for that little… erm, display, lady Sakura. But of course, you know why we're here: you disappeared, and it's our job to make sure that you don't disappear again!"

She beamed proudly, and Sakura smiled.

"I'm happy to have you two at my sides again," she opened her arms invitingly. "Thank you."

"I don't want to sound like a skeptic or anything…" Kamui interrupted, "but would you mind giving us a few introductions?"

"Oh!" Sakura squeaked, "Right! Sorry, Kamui. This is Subaki, and this is Kazahana. They're both very strong and very kind. They've done an amazing job at protecting me for years. If I join you, they will too. It'll be helpful to have supportive friends, right?"

"Of course," Kamui smiled. "Well… nice meeting the two of you then, Subaki; Kazahana."

"Hana," Hana nearly interrupted, "only lady Sakura can use my full name."

"Got it," Kamui half-shrugged, "I'm not exactly the best at social pleasantries; and so I apologize if I offended you. If you need anything smashed or beaten to a bloody pulp, talk to me. Otherwise, Corrin knows a lot more about what's going on than I do."

"I'll explain everything back at New Kamui," Corrin began, "let's go."

Hana and Subaki turned to each other and exchanged skeptical looks, but suddenly they as well as the remainder of Corrin's army was transported back to the Astral Realms, where Kamui's magnificent castle and grounds stood before them. As they did with everyone else who crossed the threshold, Kamui (with some help from the more socially apt Corrin) explained how the castle worked, and that because of her power to manipulate dragon veins, she could transform it at a whim exactly how she wanted it to look."

"And so you go with a Hoshidan design?" Hana tilted her head. "I'm not saying I don't trust you… but why? Lady Sakura mentioned that you seemed pretty staunch in your defense of Nohr."

"Because I wanted to branch out," Kamui shrugged, "I could always turn it Nohrian if I really wanted. It's not like it'd be dreary; just that I've spent 15 years locked up in Nohrian architecture, so a little change of pace is nice."

"Hmm…" Hana's lower lip stuck out and her eyes narrowed, almost as if she was trying to see through a lie that wasn't there. "Alright then. Thanks."

Kamui suspected something else was on the girl's mind that she was not sharing, but decided not to press the issue. For now, it was time to rest and recuperate. Their objectives were simple: find Takumi, Hinoka, and Ryoma (and by extension, Kamui's Nohrian siblings), but the Nohrians were most likely within the safest confines of Windmire at the moment, and with an army this small an invasion of Nohr was simply impractical. As for the remaining Hoshidans, they simply lacked any real leads to go off of.

Corrin took advantage of the different (slower) flow of time of the Astral Realms to rest himself and his army up, while he sent members of his army (primarily Anna and Kaze) out on reconnaissance missions of sorts to try and learn anything else about where the remaining royals were. Sakura and her retainers adjusted easily enough, although Hana and Subaki seemed to bicker a lot, much to Kamui's amusement.

Most of the time, however, Kamui was in her study in the castle; a lot less social off the battlefield than she was when she was on it. Most people left her alone apart from Jakob and Felicia who helped tend to her needs, or Gunter and other veteran fighters who tested their steel against hers. This time, however, she was just at her desk putting words to paper when there was a knock at the door.

"Come in," she didn't even look up as the door slid open and Sakura stepped in. Kamui saw her out of the corner of her eye and turned her head to offer her some attention.

"Need something?" she raised a curious eyebrow.

"Oh, n-no!" Sakura exclaimed, "I'm sorry; I didn't mean to bother—"

"You weren't bothering me, Sakura." Kamui shook her head. "I was just wondering if you needed something. If you are, I'm happy to help."

"I-I just wanted to say hello," Sakura whispered, "we haven't gotten to see each other very much and I want to get to know you. You're my sister, after all."

"Oh…" Kamui frowned, "I really hope you weren't taking my lack of socializing seriously, Sakura." she stood up, "Because it's not that at all… it's more just me being about as socially talented off the battlefield as a dead slug."

"You seemed pretty full of conviction out there to me," Sakura pointed out.

"That's because we were on the battlefield, and that's more or less all I've been taught how to do," Kamui chuckled, "well, that and write books."

"Is that what that stack of paper behind you is?" Sakura peeked around Kamui.

"Yeah;" Kamui glanced around, "well, drafts, anyways. It's going to be called 'The Hero in Hoshido' if my publisher will allow it."

"What's it about?" Sakura looked curious, "and can we sit down?"

"You never need to ask for my approval to have a seat, Sakura," Kamui chuckled, "so anyways, the story is basically about the wild adventures a Nohrian mercenary gets into when she winds up fighting alongside Hoshido."

"Could I be in the story somewhere?" Sakura asked, the childlike innocence of her eyes and her excited expression winning Kamui over completely and immediately.

"I could probably write you in," Kamui grinned, "may be as some powerful mage or sorcerer. I've seen you on the battlefield, sister."

"No, don't make me the villain!" Sakura cried.

"I wouldn't do that," Kamui patted Sakura on the back. "I was more thinking like one of those powerful sages from the Dragons' Trials or something grand. I can't give you all the details this early though. No spoilers for you."

"Oh… okay." Sakura lowered her head a moment before glancing back at Kamui. "When will it be finished? Do you know?"

"I don't know," Kamui admitted, "but I want this one to be better than Dancers and Diviners… because that one was rubbish."

"I actually really liked that one…" Sakura whispered. "You're a talented writer, sister."

"So here's a question for you, Sakura," Kamui smiled, "what kind of things do you like doing on your free time?"

"When I'm not helping or healing others, I like reading and trying other therapeutic methods," Sakura explained, "I don't like contention. My retainers don't seem to get that."

"They seem pretty loyal towards you to me," Kamui indicated.

"N-no, not that…" Sakura swung her feet and stared intently at them, "I trust them with my life. I'm more worried about how they interact with one another. Kazahana's a good person, but she's so hotheaded sometimes."

"Ha," Kamui chuckled, "that sounds like me on my bad days. Maybe she and I should have a discussion soon; maybe an exchange of steel…"

"Please don't hurt her!" Sakura pleaded, "I don't want our own friends and allies fighting each other for any reason!"

"It's not fighting; it'd be sparring," Kamui pointed out, "kind of like back when I challenged Ryoma and Hinoka to single combat before all of this mess went down."

"That reminds me… Kamui?" Sakura looked Kamui in the eyes for a second before looking back down again.

"What is it?" Kamui gave her best attempt at a reassuring smile.

"After all of this is over…" Sakura fidgeted again, "you know; the war and stuff… would like to learn more about Hoshido; about us?"

"I don't see why we have to wait that long," Kamui smiled. "We can start now if you want."

"Oh, thank you so much!" Sakura threw her arms around Kamui, who actually felt calm enough to return the favor. There was something about Sakura that made her very calming to be around. Frankly, Kamui felt like she hadn't been this relaxed since the last time she had been with Camilla—and that in turn reminded her of their goal. The possessions, the war, and whoever this "Exalted One" were… that's what they were out to stop. And that too, brought a smile to her face.

* * *

 **AFTERTHOUGHTS:** _A few characters might get their Japanese names with or instead of their English ones. Hana's was particularly easy because it's a shortened version of her Japanese name, and also ties into one of her character traits. Others might pop up or not as the story goes on._

* * *

 **CHARACTERS RECRUITED:**

 _ **Sakura:** The youngest princess of Hoshido. She has a kind heart and cannot abide suffering, and thus even on the battlefield, she attempts to end fights quickly and painlessly when she can. She is surprisingly strong-willed for one so painfully shy, which shows in the way she wields the legendary tome, Cymbeline. Her small size, gentle voice, and assuring presence makes her extremely relaxing to be around. The most deceptively powerful. Born on 9 April (Age 16)  
Classes: Priestess/Onmyoji_

 _ **Kazahana:** A Hoshidan samurai who goes by Hana, serving as Sakura's retainer, where she displays loyalty to a fault. She is outgoing, boisterous, and among the finest katana wielders in the kingdom due to her punishing practice regimen. She reacts fiercely towards anything she takes as an insult or affront, and like her actions, her mouth has a terrible sense of self-restraint, which sometimes gets her into trouble. The fondest of cherry blossoms. Born on 28 March (Age 17)  
Class: Swordmaster_

 _ **Subaki:** Sakura's retainer and a Hoshidan sky knight from a long line of talented knights trained to be perfect in everything they do. Easygoing, handsome, and skilled, he strives to maintain his image of perfection, putting up walls and charades whenever it may fall (or even when he merely thinks it has). His attitude makes him unaware that most people appreciate him exactly how he is rather than demanding further improvement. Has the cleanest hands. Born on 7 February (Age 22)  
Class: Sky Knight_


	45. Chapter 45: A Leader's Concern

**AUTHOR'S NOTES:** _And now it's time to ring in the new year with another chapter of Silent Dragons. There's a bit less action in this chapter, with focus instead going to Corrin, Kamui, Sakura, and other character relationships. There will be a few chapters like this here and there, particularly between game-chapters. Corrin and Kamui have a lot of their own relationship to sort out, after all. On a similar note, I should be able to get back to at least posting once a week from here on out. But, I've rambled enough. I enjoy feedback, so if you love it, hate it, or anything in between, please review._  
 _Happy Reading!_

 **CHAPTER 45: A Leader's Concern**

 _Sing with me a song of Confidence and Charm..._

Kamui went back to her study like she so often did, and got back to work writing her books. The next morning, in lieu of any new information or leads on Sakura's siblings, she was back at her desk penning away her new thrilling serial. When she heard a knock at the door she paused and looked up.

"Come in," she mumbled, and the door slid open again to reveal Sakura.

"Oh," she whispered, "were you busy, sister?"

"Who me?" Kamui put a hand to her chest as she stood up, "nah, I'm never too busy for you, Sakura." It was true that while Kamui was not even very social towards her retainers apart from on business, Sakura was one of the people she had warmed up to immediately. There was simply a relaxing aura around her that kept Kamui's nerves calm any time she was around.

"So what did you need?"

"Corrin told me you knew magic?" she glanced down at her feet, as if her shoes and Kamui's toes were suddenly the most interesting things in Kamui's surprisingly well-decorated room.

"If anything, I think I should be asking you for tips," Kamui put an arm around Sakura's shoulder, "you still have that tome Izana gave you, right?"

"O-of course!" Sakura gasped. "I would never lose it."

"Well, I know that these sacred weapons can only be wielded by those who are worthy and whatnot, and so I'm not going to ask to give it a spin as much as I'm just going to give you a warning or two about Nohrian magic. As powerful as the Hoshidan spirit-callers are, Nohrians deal more with elemental magic, such as fire, thunder, wind, or even ice." she grabbed a Fimbulvetr tome from her shelf and guided Sakura outside to a more open area where they could practice magic without setting anything on fire.

"Like your scrolls, you don't exactly need to read every word on every page," Kamui continued, "the tome will react to your touch and your magical attunement, growing in power and effectiveness the more magical strength you have I've seen you before; you can't hide that kind of magical ability from me, sister."

True to Kamui's word, it did not take long before Sakura knew exactly what Kamui spoke of.

"It wasn't like I really taught you anything," Kamui commented modestly, "it's like learning the difference between a fork and chopsticks. Speaking of which don't remind me."

Sakura giggled but didn't press the subject. Instead her face turned back into one of concern as she asked Kamui another question.

"But what happens if I face enemies that know how to resist or counter magic?" she asked.

"Are you saying you want to learn how to use another kind of weapon as well?" Kamui raised her eyebrows, "because you name it, and I probably know it. Even then though, I'm not the best. I'm pretty sure Takumi would whoop me with a bow, Xander or Ryoma could stop me with swords, and Hinoka could top me with a spear or a knife. There's also no point in going up against Camilla with an axe. Just saying."

"E-even if they were here, I-I don't think I could compare with any of them," Sakura trembled, "but I… would kind of like to learn how to use a yumi like mother used to."

"Say no more!" Kamui beamed, "you wanna learn how to use a bow? I'll teach you how to use a bow. Let me just grab one from the barracks over here…"

Sakura was an attentive student, and Kamui turned out to be a decent teacher. Corrin noticed the two of them training from a distance and watched them for a while. He was only interrupted by a man approaching him from behind.

"Milord," Corrin spun around to see Jakob standing in front of him, "I have come inquiring about the location of milady Kamui, and was…" he noticed her off in the distance over Corrin's shoulder. "Well… I take that back. I suppose I should resume my other duties now that Kamui's location has been settled."

"A moment, if I may, Jakob?" Corrin asked, turning to the butler again.

"I would prefer not to be stalled, but since milady has ordered to treat your requests like her own, I am obligated to hear you out."

"I'm just wondering about Kamui, actually," Corrin decided to ignore Jakob's slight condescension, "she seems talented with whatever weapon she picks up. Axes, swords, magic, bows… you name it, she knows it."

"Milady has been a talented combatant for years, actually." Jakob explained, "She spent much of her life locked away at a remote tower in the middle of nowhere with little else to do with her time. As such, she began putting her skills to use. She's a formidable opponent."

"I've seen her," Corrin nodded, "I'm more wondering if there's anything she can't do. She seems like more of a capable instructor and leader than I do."

"As much as I am hesitant to offer sympathy," Jakob blatantly admitted, "I can assure you right now that Kamui has little interest in serving as a leader."

"Why's that?" Corrin raised an eyebrow.

"In truth…" Jakob scratched the back of her head, "Milady can often be a dreadful decision-maker. She is fierce and impulsive and shows little concern about her own safety. She needs people such as her servants to keep her from doing anything terribly stupid… and a leader who can point her in the right direction. Despite all of this, I could never ask for a better master to serve. I hope my answers suffice for you, Lord Corrin."

"They do…" Corrin half-stammered, "thank you, Jakob. It's given me a lot to think about."

"A pleasure," Jakob nodded, "for Kamui's sake and perhaps yours as well though, I would advise you to stay strong in your convictions. Neither I nor Kamui will look up to nor respect a weak-willed leader."

"No, that makes sense," Corrin nodded. "Thanks for your time." He didn't feel offended by Jakob's remark, because he knew that if he was placed under the jurisdiction of a weak leader, he'd be hesitant to follow orders too. Sumeragi had been strong. Mikoto had been strong. He was just having trouble trying to sort these things out; how to become a good leader, essentially.

Incidentally, when he asked around as to what his soldiers and friends thought made a good leader, most of them thought he was doing a good job. Felicia complimented his sense of strategy, and even Gunter stated that while his fighting skill was inferior to that of his sister, that he was still a formidable warrior.

"I'm here because you pay well," Anna giggled when Corrin asked her how she felt about him, "but as shamelessly greedy as I am, I'd say no to even the best-paying job if I didn't feel safe and secure. A dead merchant makes no sales, after all… so yeah; you're good with me!"

Obviously Corrin had nearly full support from all of the Hoshidans they had recruited thus far, with each one of them admitting they fully backed and supported him apart from Azura, who was nowhere to be seen. More often than not, that woman had Corrin wondering what she was up to or where she would go, but since no harm ever seemed to come of it, he decided to leave her be rather than pursue the mystery.

Eventually, Corrin came around to Sakura and asked her the same things he had inquired of most of the others. She gave him a confused look.

"W-what do you mean, big brother?" she looked concerned.

"I've just been conducting a survey of my own abilities," he admitted, "People want me to lead this army, and so I'm just trying to stay in tip-top shape."

"You've always been one of my role models," Sakura exclaimed, "you and Takumi and Hinoka and Ryoma… and Mother of course."

"And what of Kamui?" Corrin hid any feelings of envy he had towards his sister for her martial skills, "how has she been?"

"Oh, she's been wonderful!" Sakura bobbed up and down for a second, "she's teaching me how to be an archer, and she's so talented with magic… why?" She sensed something about Corrin that he was not sharing.

"An insecurity of mine," Corrin confessed. Sakura had an innate ability to squeeze the truth from people without even trying to. It made her extremely difficult to lie to, and she often didn't even realize it. "I just wonder sometimes if Kamui would be more suited to lead this army than me. She's easily stronger than me, both with and without weapons, and she's clearly talented with them as well."

"You're jealous of Kamui?" Sakura tilted her head, "Corrin… she's jealous of you!"

"She is?" Corrin's brow furrowed, "about what?"

"W-well… your control over your dragon form is something she envies… and how kind and sociable you are. You're a great leader, big brother. You've brought us together, and even Kamui knows it. She told me she isn't sociable at all… and I can see it. She's very much like me in that regard… right?" she looked around and then at the floor before smiling up at Corrin.

"Now that you mention it, I can see that," Corrin agreed, before sighing almost with relief. "I'm glad you're with us, Sakura. You're a pleasant breeze in an otherwise fiery pit of despair."

Sakura didn't really know how to respond to this remark other than with a blush, but it brought a smile to her face to see Corrin happy and relieved.

It relieved Corrin to know that most of his army got along fairly well with one another. Jakob occasionally chastised Felicia for a clumsy slip-up here or there, but Kamui was usually there for that as well. The way Felicia reacted was usually what upset Kamui the most though, and so she knew she would have to intervene. Thus, she turned to the man she could trust as a leader and inspiration: her first stop would be talking to her brother… which fit perfectly with Corrin's own desire to talk to Kamui.

"Ah, yes… I've heard—and seen—Felicia's antics." Corrin chuckled, "she's remarkably talented on the battlefield, although her skills as a servant… well, erm…"

"No need to remind me," Kamui chuckled, throwing herself onto Corrin's sofa and popping open the nearest drink. She paid no regard to the cork, which hit the ceiling and then bounced somewhere out of sight and out of mind. "...but I don't want to hurt her feelings or crush her already low self-esteem. She means well and tries to do well. She just… needs help. Hell, you know me. Even I need help every now and again learning how to solve problems without punching things or putting my sword through them."

"What did you have in mind?" Corrin raised an eyebrow. "And you know you could have asked before just taking my sake."

"You never drink it anyways, Mr. Dry-'N-Sober." Kamui quipped, "probably for the better since you're our master tactician. BUT, that reminds me. I was kind of hoping that you'd use that brilliant intellect to help me out of that bind, y'know?"

"Well… if we had someone trailing her or helping from the sidelines to fix her mistakes…" Corrin put a finger to his chin, "I think I know just the thing—well, that we could try anyways."

"Let's hear it," Kamui took a long draught from the bottle before belching loudly, almost as if she was deliberately trying to playfully pester her older twin brother.

"I could always use Kaze to watch her; help her from the sidelines," Corrin suggested.

"If you're offering your retainer for the job, that'd be swell," Kamui quipped, "Jakob's great, but he's a bit of an ass to everyone not named Kamui. Seems he's only okay with dealing with my stupidity."

"Seems apt," Corrin smirked. Kamui actually gawked at him.

"What's this? My brother actually makes a joke?" Kamui gasped.

"It was a one-time thing," Corrin riposted. "It won't happen again."

"Right," Kamui nodded, "so… Kaze then, yeah?"

"I'll talk to him about it." Corrin promised. "And I'll keep you updated."

Kamui rose to her feet, draining the rest of the bottle without stopping to catch her breath until it was empty. "Oh, one more thing!" Corrin called out as Kamui headed for the door.

"Mm?" Kamui belched, wiping her lip.

"What do you think of me?" he asked, "As a leader, I mean?"

"What brought this on?" Kamui tilted her head, "it wasn't because of me training Sakura or anything, was it?"

"I'll admit that seeing you wield so many different kinds of weapon with such skill had me jealous," Corrin confessed, "but no; I've asked everyone in the castle this question too."

"Ah, so I'm the next stop in your career evaluations? Joy of joys."

"Surely you have to have an opinion though."

"Well of course I do, brother; but opinions are like stained-glass windows: hit 'em hard enough and it doesn't matter how many you have or how glorious they are."

"I'd still like your opinion on the matter if you don't mind."

"Honestly? You're a hell of a lot more cut out for leadership than I am, Corrin," Kamui laughed, "Just let me drink shit, smash shit, and talk a little shit now and again and I think we'll get along just fine and dandy. The people have you and your charisma to look to for a strong and caring leader. I'm just some dumb muscle that helps smash through enemy ranks. I wouldn't want it any other way—so I look to you for leadership and guidance."

"That… thanks, Kamui." Corrin smiled. "That means more to me than you think."

"Any time," Kamui shrugged, "don't sweat it, big brother."

"If you start calling me that I'm going to call you 'baby sister'." Corrin warned.

"Oh, ho! Corrin knows how to tell jokes after all!" Kamui laughed, "Nah, I'm just shitting you, brother. Anyways, I've got a date with some meat in the mess hall, so I'll see you later."

When Corrin and Kamui parted ways, Corrin smiled as he was filled with a new sense of optimism. Even Kamui, strong and clever as she was (despite her claims of being stupid) approved of him. That burden's removal made him feel a dozen pounds lighter. He glanced out again towards Kamui, and shook his head as he watched her head straight for the castle's mess hall, throwing the now empty bottle against the wall of the nearest building as she went.

* * *

 **AFTERTHOUGHTS:** _Obviously there won't be gaps between game-chapters as huge as the one I had between chapters 4 and 5, but they will crop up here and there, especially as more characters join Corrin's army. I just thought that it made sense for them to A, not move straight from one battle to the next (this war isn't going to be won in 28 days), and B, not know exactly where to go right away. They'll get reports from Anna or Kaze or someone about where to head next soon enough though, so no worries there either._


	46. Chapter 46: The Spitfire Swordmaster

**AUTHOR'S NOTES:** _Happy birthday to me. Moving on, this chapter puts a little more focus on some of the other characters. Unlike Kamui's sojourn in Hoshido, however, we're not about to run a chapter for every character before moving on. I think there might be one, maybe two more of these chapters at most before we move on, but from there, I can't really say. Whatever the case, here's a bit more character development, this time from one of our newcomers as Corrin and his army wait for any news from Kaze and/or Anna about the rest of their families. Either way, I'll stop rambling now.  
Happy Reading! _

**CHAPTER 46: The Spitfire Swordmaster**

 _Sing with me a song of Tempers and Trials..._

A few more days passed without much in terms of new information, although it had been a while since anyone had seen Anna. Kamui theorized that she might be onto something, and so in anticipation of their little army's next move, she was back to training. At Sakura's request, she also went to training her with bows once again, except that this time as she waited for Sakura to arrive, she was instead joined by a guest who looked all the more suspicious.

"Need something?" Kamui recognized this girl as Sakura's retainer, but hadn't really bothered to learn her name after forgetting it back at Fort Jinya.

"No," Hana replied, "I just wanted to watch your form while you teach Lady Sakura. That's not going to be a problem, is it?"

"Depends on if you try and interfere or not," Kamui riposted, "you know that my offer still stands from the other day right… umm…"

"Hana," she clearly noticed that Kamui was trying to search for the name. "I'm not saying I don't trust you; but the safety of my liege is my top priority. It always has been, and always will be."

"Wouldn't want it any other way," Kamui agreed, "you don't have to trust me, y'know. All you need to worry about is that Corrin trusts me, and I follow his orders. Also, out of everyone in this camp, Sakura is literally the last person I would ever want to do ill to. Of that you have my promise."

"And how well can I trust such a promise?" Hana raised an eyebrow.

"I swear it on the grave of my dead mother," Kamui warned, "and that isn't something I'd ever just say or throw around lightly."

Hana was actually taken aback by this.

"Remember—the queen of Hoshido was also my mother," Kamui reminded her, "I suppose you could take that as a Nohrian insult or something, or you can just take my word that I really don't want to hurt Sakura. Or, I have an offer you might like."

Hana raised her eyebrow, putting her hands on her hips.

"You, me, spar." Kamui continued, "at least until Sakura shows up. I don't imagine you're a pushover by any means. I've seen you with that blade, and it might give me a run for my money."

"Expect no mercy," Hana drew her blade, "for you shall receive none."

"I wouldn't want it any other way," Kamui licked her lips as she pulled out the Dusk Yato. "At your ready, Hoshidan."

Hana was lightning-swift, and while Kamui had plenty of speed behind her moves, hers were more focused on strength due to the well-roundedness of her training. Similarly, she was much more resilient, being able to take far more hits than Hana. Hana evened this out by being much harder for Kamui to hit.

Sakura actually squealed when she noticed what they were doing, but fortunately Corrin had also shown up to find out what the ruckus was about.

"A-are they going to be alright?" she asked, knowing that she should probably not get between them—especially not Hana.

"They should be," Corrin calculated, "Hana knows her limits, and I've never seen Kamui take an injury that she didn't just shrug right off. I'm sure neither one would mind you sticking around to heal them though."

The two of them watched as steel clashed against steel, and a few times, there were even sparks flying with how swift the two wielded their weapons.

It became clear after a while, however, that neither one was going to relent. Corrin knew Kamui better and knew that she was likely waiting for her opponent to call a truce, but Sakura knew Hana better than that, and told Corrin this.

"She never says 'when' either." she warned, "I-I think we're going to have to intervene."

"It seems so," Corrin frowned, before turning towards them. They were certainly talented fighters, but with how many cuts and bruises the two were acquiring from one another, it was clear that they'd be in the medical ward in no time if they kept this up too much longer.

"Hey," Corrin called out, but neither one of them even paused to give him the time of day. "HEY!" he shouted a bit louder this time, repeating himself two more times with no avail.

"STOP IT!" Sakura screamed, and this gave them pause. Corrin took it a step further by clutching his Dragonstone and morphing into the white and grey dragon form he was well-acquainted with. The roar of a dragon helped make Sakura's point really hit home, and both Kamui and Kazahana stopped and stared with eyes the size of plates, both frozen in shock and awe that was only disrupted when blood from a cut above Hana's right eye dripped down and made her blink.

Sakura pointed to Corrin, hoping he would notice and take the hint and say what she wanted to say. Even to her retainer, Sakura was still a bit shy. More than Hana though, Kamui was kind of intimidating to her, especially the way she stood with her sword drawn, a battle-expression on her face, and scars to prove her experience. Corrin morphed back into his humanoid form and took a breath.

"You two aren't gonna quit, are you?" He sighed, a smile creeping over half of his lip.

"I was waiting for her to give the word," Hana and Kamui pointed at each other and spoke simultaneously. Corrin's right hand went straight to his forehead.

"Well, thanks for stopping and not killing each other." he began, "I don't want to sound like I'm trying to ruin your fun here… but I'm going to intervene like this if you two are just going to go until one of you dies of blood loss. Maybe set a time limit or something, sister?"

"That's not a bad idea," Kamui spat out a wad of blood, "nice one, brother."

"Lady Sakura trusts your judgment, Lord Corrin," Hana conceded, "and so I will too."

"That reminds me…" Corrin nodded towards Sakura, who approached the two women, her healing rod in hand.

"Kazahana, you should really get cleaned up!" she suggested. "I was worried for you."

"I was doing just fine…" Hana shrugged, before lowering her voice, "though I'll admit… Lady Kamui's a lot more formidable and fast than I'd expect for a Nohrian. I just wanted to make sure you were being taught by someone who knows what they're doing."

"Kamui's a very talented warrior," Sakura nodded. "I'm glad she didn't hurt you."

"I'd offer to shake your hand, actually," Kamui piped up, "but it's covered in blood and you're not wearing gloves like I am. I'm not afraid to admit when I see a formidable warrior, Hana. You proved to me that you're a talented swordswoman and respectable in your own right for it."

"Oh, I'm not too posh to shake your hand…" Hana rolled her eyes and seized Kamui's hand, though reeled back as Kamui essentially left a grip-shaped handprint of blood on Hana's formerly clean right hand, "ugh… okay maybe I shoulda thought that through a bit better. Still… I'm glad I was wrong about you. I don't think I'm quite ready to let Lady Sakura come here without first coming to spar with you myself again, but I doubt you'll mind."

"You don't ever have to trust me if you don't want," Kamui laughed, "but anytime you offer a challenge, I'll accept. Keep this up and I won't even have time to finish my lessons with Sakura."

After Sakura had mended Kamui's wounds as well as Hana's, she went back to train in archery practice with Kamui, which was much less violent than the spar Kamui and Hana has just had. Hana was about to head down and clean up when she froze and snarled slightly under her breath. Corrin looked at her curiously.

"Mr. Perfect's come to rub in how un-perfect the rest of us are…" she mumbled. Sure enough, Subaki was approaching them, although he seemed more curious about that situation rather than arrogant.

"Gracious, Hana, you're a mess!" Her wounds might have been healed, but the healing rods and staves did not clean off the dirt and blood, "were you ambushed?"

"I had a perfectly awesome spar with Lady Kamui, thank you very much," Hana corrected him, "or perhaps not perfect since only you know how to do that it seems, but you get the point."

"Hana…" Subaki sighed, "we've been over this. Nothing I do is an attempt to prove myself better than you or to take away any attention from your achievements to focus on mine. I simply strive for perfection so I can serve Lady Sakura and Hoshido to the best of my ability. Is that not a noble goal for all of us to aim for?"

"Yeah, well… it'd help if you weren't so damn uppity about it all the time." Hana spat, "Why can't you just serve Lady Sakura like a normal human being?"

"This again?" Subaki took a defensive stance with his hands up, "are you going to go back into that phase where you point out every little minor misstep I make in hopes of dragging me down?"

"Well that would mean you weren't perfect now, would it? So you need to stop promoting the idea to everyone in camp."

"Hana, if people say that about me behind my back, I have very little control over it." Subaki reasoned as Corrin crossed his arms to watch the verbal argument either heat up or fizzle out, "This is rather unprofessional of you as well; and I don't imagine Lady Sakura would be pleased to see her two fine retainers bickering like schoolchildren."

Hana opened her mouth, clearly armed with a sharp comeback at the tip of her tongue, but Subaki cut her off again. "And I did say 'we'. I work myself to perfection all the same."

"But that means…" Hana glared up at him before growling and realizing that this was going in circles. She shook her head forcefully, sending her light brown hair fanning out in every direction before stomping off in a huff.

"How long has she been like that?" Corrin raised his eyebrow as Subaki shook his head.

"She skipped breakfast and lunch this morning," Subaki pointed out, "and I don't imagine her spar, however it may have gone, did much for her mood. She's always getting after me over this petty game of hers and I frankly don't understand it. She clamours on and on about how everyone claims I'm so perfect and how that somehow makes her inferior. I don't consider her anything short of my equal, and she refuses to believe it."

"I've known you a while, Subaki," Corrin nodded, his eyes snapping back to Subaki as he heard a door slam somewhere in the distance, "and you do have that reputation for perfection…"

"Should I strive for anything less than perfection though, Lord Corrin?" Subaki nearly interrupted, "Is it wrong for me to want to do my best?"

"No; not at all…" Corrin shook his head, "I'm kind of trying to figure out what makes Hana tick, myself. She's feisty… but I think she means well."

"She definitely means well," Subaki agreed, "but she's very young, and that fiery personality of hers doesn't look like it's cooling off anytime soon. I've been there and done that. I'm just worried that she's so fixated on my talents that she refuses to see her own any time I show up."

"I see the dilemma," Corrin mused aloud, "obviously you can't not be around her at times, since you're both retainers to Sakura, but there's an obvious friction between you and Hana that you want addressed."

"You know me too well, Lord Corrin," Subaki sighed, "and you know that I see this as imperfection and that it's going to keep me up all night again at this rate. I sometimes envy the harmony with which your retainers get along… did you know that?"

"They've never actually told me how they met…" Corrin pointed out, "or even where they came from. But you've got a point. They seem like they're very close friends. I think I'll talk to Zenzi about this and see if I can get her to get something out of Hana. How does that sound?"

"Well, I don't exactly want people to start thinking I'm incapable of solving even the pettiest of problems without the help of our leader…" Subaki began,

"It's nothing that fancy," Corrin elbowed him, "we're an army, but we're also a team; almost a family of sorts. We help each other when we can; sometimes there are roadblocks or other obstacles that come up in the road. It's our job to find ways past them and keep moving forward. Look at Kamui—she's my twin sister—literally the closest flesh and blood I have on Ferevs, and she and I are like night and day. I guess what I'm saying is… don't stress too much about it. I'm on the job, and I know just how to handle it."

Corrin didn't think that Subaki would just drop the subject, but he nodded approvingly at Corrin's answer and it seemed to lift his spirits just a bit. Corrin cast one more glance over at Kamui and Sakura just in time to watch little Sakura shoot her first bullseye, but then turned back to the castle. He needed to find Zenzi for a talk...

* * *

 _ **AFTERTHOUGHTS:** Kazahana is quite the little fireball, isn't she? I always perceived her as a fiery little piece of work, and some of that wild temper comes from her age. Subaki, by contrast, might still have that "Mr. Perfect" reputation going on, but he's also several years older than her and much more mature. It's not that Hana is Rinkah 2.0 and hates everyone; she's just extremely aggressive, and her prodigious talent and itch for a fight forged a very competitive personality where she incorrectly perceives everyone else's performance as a challenge against her own. _  
_Essentially, giving Hana this flair is one of the ways to help her stand out more; an attempt by me to help the less-developed characters become a little more distinct despite the story not focusing too much on them. Let me know what you think about it in the comments; because there's a very high chance that plenty of other characters will receive similar treatments. I obviously won't be able to give them all equal amounts of time simply because some are more central to the story than others, and some are more developed than others, but I hope to give them all at least one or two quirks or dynamics to make them stand out.  
_


	47. Chapter 47: An Evening of Thought

**AUTHOR'S NOTES:** _Sorry for the slightly late chapter, folks. Here we go with getting things moving again. There's some character development from several ends, and a touch more on the elusive and mysterious Azura, who has been mostly absent from the spotlight until now. To Corrin fans, rest easy, knowing that he appears for a mucyh more significant part of the story than his sister this time. Kamui's great at being one of those people where there's never a dull moment with her; but she's not the only one with excitement in her life. Then we get into plot advancement and the likes, so strap in. This one's a wild ride._  
 _Happy Reading!_

 **CHAPTER 47: An Evening of Thought**

 _Sing with me a song of Calms and Concerns..._

Finding Roku and Zenzi was easy enough for Corrin. Dinner came and went, and they were not too hard to single out afterwards, even despite the the sheer size of the castle at New Kamui. Roku was the first to heed Corrin's call, and he led her to Zenzi.

"Out of curiosity, my liege," Roku grunted, "is this task you wish to assign something you deem me incapable of performing?"

"Umm…" Corrin scratched his head, "Kiiiind of. Hana's sparring with my sister and she's probably going to return to the bathhouse once she's done. I'm pretty sure she'd be a lot more open with Zenzi, especially there… and I know your discomfort around women besides her."

"That…" Roku's face flushed only slightly. "...That makes sense. Thank you for, um, choosing Zenzi for this line of work, Lord Corrin."

"I know you well enough to know what you excel at and what Zenzi excels at," Corrin pointed out, "and I feel like people are at their best when they do what they're good at."

"Right then," Roku nodded, "let me find Zenzi for you."

It took him only a couple of minutes before Zenzi returned, looking a little sweaty and red in the face. She had clearly been training.

"Roku told me some of what you were looking for, Lord Corrin," she began.

"It's an issue that we really shouldn't have to deal with," Corrin nodded, "but I feel like Hana needs someone that understands her. You're a fellow master of the katana, and you're basically impossible not to like. She opens up to you, right?"

"Well yeah…" Zenzi played with her fingers, "but I… I don't think I should go around spilling all of her secrets, you know?"

"I'm not asking you to," Corrin clarified, "I just think that she needs someone that she can open up to without being super harsh and abrasive to them. That's not bad, is it?"

"No… not at all." Zenzi agreed, "And I think it might do some good for her."

"Excellent," Corrin smiled, "No pressure though, Zenzi. Just see if you can find a time to talk to her when she's in less of a mood."

Zenzi knew Hana well enough that it did not take her long to find Kazahana when she wasn't wound up so tightly. She joined her friend in the bathhouse, knowing that that was one of the few times when Hana let loose and refused to get wound up—most of the time.

"Zenzi," Obviously Hana looked up when she heard someone coming. It wouldn't be the first time someone walked in on someone else when they shouldn't have. "The water's great today! C'mon in!"

Zenzi did exactly that, having disrobed in preparation for the very thing. "Oh, you're right…" she exclaimed with a delightful shudder, "The water's wonderful…"

"So what brings you here?" Hana asked out of curiosity, "Usually you wait till everyone else has cleared out."

"W-well…" Zenzi stuttered a little, "I was actually kind of looking for you."

"For what?" Hana looked curious, "are you serving as Corrin's messenger for Kamui or something? Because that'd just be ridiculous."

"Nothing that fancy!" Zenzi squeaked, "I actually just wanted to ask why you were so tense all the time… even now your shoulders tightened up when I asked you that question."

"I train hard," Hana's statement wasn't an explicit lie; just an omission of the truth. "I stay tense and wary to prevent being surprised or ambushed. Here in New Kamui I just stay tense and on edge in case someone like Oboro or Kamui challenges me to a spar or something."

"But why are you so tense in here?" Zenzi looked genuinely confused, "I-I don't think anyone's about to come charging in and spar with you in your smallclothes."

Hana glanced around as if trying to see if someone was spying on them before drifting towards Zenzi and lowering her voice.

"Why do you want to know?" She shot Zenzi an accusing glare.

"It doesn't explicitly involve me…" Zenzi stammered, "But it concerns me nonetheless. You act so abrasive towards certain people and it makes me sad. I know I'm not your mother or your liege, but that's how I see your behaviour."

"This is about Subaki, isn't it?" Hana gritted her teeth, her eyes flaring.

"Well, yes and no," Zenzi's face reddened more than it normally did despite the steamy water, "I'm just a curious 3rd party, Hana. Why do you hate him?"

"I don't hate him," Hana shook her head, "but he's always sooooo perfect and does everything so amazingly that sometimes it makes me wonder if Lady Sakura even needs me. Heck, why doesn't he just become everyone's retainer so he can do everything perfect for everyone? Everyone wins!"

"Hana…" Zenzi frowned, "You know as well as I do that that's not true. You know what I think it is that's gripping you?"

Hana said nothing, but raised an eyebrow as if daring Zenzi to say it.

"You downgrade your skills," Zenzi put her hands under Hana's jaw, "I-I would know all about that. I used to do it all the time."

"Are you serious right now?" Hana actually gawked, "you, Zenzi? I've seen you on the battlefield. You somehow incorporate dancing into your combat and you wield your katana with the elegance that only a masterful dancer could. I looked up to you and now you're telling me you've done the same thing I did? What's up with that?"

"Kazahana…" Zenzi gave her friend a very sheepish but very Zenzi-esque smile. "You should really talk with Lord Corrin about it. He and I had a discussion about it too, and I think it would be good for you. Do you realize how much he's helped me become more confident in myself and my abilities? When Roku and I first signed on with him, I was a stuttering mess that couldn't glance at someone for more than a few seconds without needing to use the ladies' room. N-now here I am talking with you face to face without shying away. That took a lot of effort on my part."

Truly, Zenzi was breathing heavily, and while Hana could still tell that she was nervous, Zenzi's words were also very genuine and heartfelt.

"Anyone else…" Hana nodded, "and I might have told them to bugger off. For you, Zenzi… you couldn't tell a lie even if you wanted to. I trust you."

"I-I couldn't…" Zenzi stammered, "you're right. I can't bring myself to lie. You know that I'm only trying to help you, right?"

"I do," Hana agreed, "that's why I allow you to call me by my full name. I might be petty about it, but it drives me crazy that Subaki can get showered with praise just for being good-looking and talented, but when people like you or me work for our talent, we're just your everyday mid-tier schmucks that get no recognition."

Zenzi nodded. "This is why I think you should talk to Lord Corrin about it," she suggested, "He is very level-headed and tries to be fair in his judgments. Lady Kamui might be stronger and fiercer on the battlefield, but you should never underestimate the power of a good tactician."

"Heh, that's a fair point," Hana conceded, "But for now… I need to relax…"

Incidentally, Corrin was unawares that Zenzi planned to have Hana speak to him, and so instead he was just wandering the grounds of New Kamui. He knew that at some point they would have to start finding ways to bring in rank-and-file soldiers to handle some of the larger skirmishes they would face along the way, and hoped that Anna and Kaze would be able to help with that in Hoshido while they were there.

Sure there were a few disputes here and there as was normal and expected, but most of them got along swimmingly—even Kamui. She kept to herself a lot, although Gunter and Jakob remained in her service; and she sparred a lot, usually with Hana, Oboro, Zenzi, or Roku. This particular evening, however, he was walking along the walls of New Kamui when he spotted a slouched figure with something in her left hand. Upon further investigation, he was no longer alarmed, realizing that it was just a heavily inebriated Kamui, her eyes glazed and rolled back, and several empty bottles around her.

"Sister!" he exclaimed, "are you seriously getting drunk just to get drunk?!"

"I'm fiiiine…" Kamui hiccuped, "a little buzzed maybe, but remember—we Nohrians can handle our whiskey. Just because you pass out after half a shot of watered-down piss-beer doesn't mean we all do."

"What are you doing up here?" Corrin shook his head as he put a palm to his forehead. He ignored his sister's scathing remark about his (supposedly) low alcohol tolerance.

"Drinking, of course!" Kamui laughed, "well, and Oboro threw me out after I broke a bottle on the floor she was mopping. Then I'm pretty sure I accidentally pulled Felicia's skirt off and made her trip, and everything went south from there after the fire started."

Corrin stared at Kamui with an utterly dumbfounded expression.

"I'm shitting you!" Kamui laughed as she watched her brother's visage contort, "well, sort of. I did spill the beer and Oboro did get a little moody, but Felicia's fine, and the fire was small and extinguished easily. Entirely my fault, but everything's better now."

She paused, emptying the contents of the bottle, which, based on the number around her, appeared to be her 4th. "By the way," she belched, "You told me to keep an eye out for Azura, didn't you? Well, I saw her just a few minutes ago, heading north. She might still be there."

Corrin hesitated for a second, only because he wasn't sure if Kamui should be left unattended like this. However, after a moment of pondering, he realized that she was not hurting anyone, and nothing seemed to be in danger of her misdeeds, and so he flicked his hands in a farewell as he raced after Azura's trail.

Despite her obvious inebriation, Kamui's tip had been accurate. Azura was sitting atop one of the highest walls of the castle's fortress, her legs dangling over the edge, looking almost as if she was about to spring from the walls and plunge hundreds of feet to her death. Instead, she was gazing off into the evening sky, her eyes transfixed by the large moon rising up from behind the mountains. The Astral Plane was weird like that, and seeing the empty landscape around them made him wonder what was out there.

"Azura," he spoke softly as not to startle her.

"Hmm?" She didn't turn her head, but her remark was an indication that Corrin had her attention.

"Even now there are things about you that make me wonder," he pointed out, seating himself on the wall next to her, "you're off on your own more than Kamui. Why is that?"

"I get lost in my thoughts a lot," Azura admitted openly, "and when that happens it's nice to be alone so I can help sort them out. There is so much about the place we went to that I wish I could share with everyone without simply disappearing… but this is an army that you are building based on trust, Corrin. This is why you are a leader and I am not."

"And so you trust your fate in the hands of a man who has never really left Shirasagi Castle Town until now?" Corrin raised an eyebrow.

"Would you rather I put my life in the hands of your bull-headed twin sister?" Azura quipped, the corner of her lip curling upwards. Corrin actually stifled a laugh.

"When you put it that way, no." he replied, "but Kamui's got her merits. Don't be too hard on her."

"Kamui's an interesting person," Azura smiled. "For someone so distant much like myself, she seems to make friends easier than she expected. I've noticed she likes to keep her distance though, much like I do."

"So what do you think of all this then?" Corrin asked, "I mean… we're basically trying to do the impossible… bringing Hoshido and Nohr together, only to have them fight an unseen foe?"

"It's doable," Azura assured him, "but now it's my turn to ask you something. What's on your mind, Corrin? You always become so inquisitive when something's buzzing around in your head like this."

"It's…" Corrin sighed, "It's Kagero, actually. Obviously Ryoma, Hinoka, and them are still possessed, but we know what happened to them, and we know that whoever is using them isn't about to just make them magically disappear. Zola impersonated Kagero though, and there's been no word or sign of her since then."

"You're worried for her," Azura whispered, "She's important to you then…"

"Well of course," Corrin stammered, "but… I mean, not like that, it's just…"

"Corrin, do you really see me as someone to go around spurting secrets?" Azura mused.

"N-No…" Corrin knew she had a point. "Still, I…"

He was interrupted though as a red-haired woman literally warped right in next to him. Before he needed to take the defensive, Corrin realized that it was Anna.

"Sorry to interrupt;" she apologized, "I hope I didn't just break in on something romantic or anything… but Kaze and I are back—and we've got some leads."

Corrin turned to Azura and she nodded understandingly. Their conversation would have to wait. It was time to start strategizing.


	48. Chapter 48: A Tragic Start

**AUTHOR'S NOTES:** _And here we go onto Paralogue 1. Because of Kamui getting her memories back a bit earlier than in-game, I've had to rework how she meets Silas, and also decided to introduce him much earlier than Revelation did because of reasons. Also, because it's paralogue 1... Mozu shows up. Also lots of Faceless. Anyways, for the time being this fix will go back to updating once a week, though if/when that changes, I'll keep people updated.  
Happy Reading!_

 **CHAPTER 48: A Tragic Start**

 _Sing with me a song of Orphans and Blood…_

Kaze led the way back to the war room of the castle, with Corrin immediately behind them. Azura followed, but trailed behind as Anna brought up the rear, and Corrin failed to notice Azura slipping a few coins into Anna's hands.

"I would recommend bringing Lady Kamui for this, milord," Kaze suggested, "as well as Lady Sakura and anyone else who you feel is valuable to leading the war effort."

"Kamui is a bit… intoxicated…" Corrin murmured, since he was almost certain that his sister hadn't moved from her spot on the wall where he had left her upon finding Azura.

"Oh, I don't think you need to worry about her being alert or not," came another voice, this one belonging to Oboro, "she's a wild party-animal kind of drunk. I'm sure she'll be just fine if you drag her along, even if you have to do so with her kicking and screaming."

Oboro did look a bit frazzled, with her normally neatly combed hair and finely groomed ponytail starting to show signs of disorder.

"Are… are you okay?" Corrin tilted his head.

"I'm fine…" Oboro sighed as she wiped her brow, "I just got done cleaning up the aptly named mess hall, thank you very much. I'm gonna have to start campaigning to limit Kamui to three drinks at a time or less though."

"What happened?" Corrin raised an eyebrow, wondering now how much of Kamui's story on the wall was actually true.

"Let's just say that she started dancing on the tables and spilling things, and now Felicia's a nervous wreck and there's a large burn mark on the floor and one of the walls." Oboro grunted, her left eye twitching, "Lord Corrin, if I may speak out of place here… do keep a better eye on your sister for me, please?"

"I'll… make sure to have a word with her about it when I can," Corrin promised. "And I apologize for any damage she might have caused."

"It's over now," Oboro shrugged, "I'm not trying to be passive-aggressive or anything; I just need to take a breath or two. I'm frazzled, and I look awful."

Corrin opened his mouth to argue that point; while Oboro did look a little frazzled, he figured it would probably be better just to silently agree with her rather than argue with a woman he knew took her appearance very seriously.

"Take your time," Corrin decided to assure her instead, "we need to round up some of the others anyways." he thought of Sakura, and then of Kamui.

Oboro took this time to get cleaned up, where to her surprise, she saw Kamui, who this time appeared much more sober. Her left eye twitched as she saw Kamui, although Kamui saw this out of the corner of her eye, and her ear twitched in response as she turned to face the blue-haired woman.

"Is that alcohol?" Oboro snapped as she noticed the bottle on the table next to where Kamui was seated writing.

"If it was anyone else I'd have lied and said it was vodka," Kamui admitted, "but no; it's just water. You Hoshidans do need better booze though, but that's not the point."

"I'm watching you, Kamui." Oboro warned, "don't do it again."

"Hey now… I might have gotten a little out of control." Kamui confessed, "I just wanted to apologize. I… can get like that sometimes, and I take full responsibility for my actions."

"I…" Oboro froze for a moment, "I'm actually surprised at that. You deflected so much of it when you were actually drunk; I kind of just got ahead of myself and assumed that you weren't going to take any responsibility for it."

"Nah," Kamui shook her head, "give me a few hours to sober up after a wild afternoon and I'll even clean up any damage I cause."

"You know I'm going to hold you to that, right?" Oboro quipped.

"I had a bad feeling you'd say that," Kamui joked, "but alright; alright. I concede."

"So anyways, your brother's looking for you," Oboro pointed out, "Anna and Kaze came back and apparently some of their news involves you."

"This should be good," Kamui folded her papers up, set them next to her drink which she then took, and rose to her feet. "Are you coming?"

"I'll tend to the camp," Oboro replied, "maybe do a few more chores until you all are finished."

Kamui decided not to get in Oboro's way, already feeling like she was on fairly thin ice with that woman. Whatever the case, she met up in one of the castle's war rooms with Corrin, Sakura, Kaze, Anna, and Gunter all waiting for her.

"Lady Kamui," Gunter was the first one to speak, "tell me—are you familiar with a young man by the name of Silas at all?"

"Silas?" Kamui paused, putting a finger to her chin as if raking her memories. "Silas? THAT Silas? Bloody hell where has he been?"

"I'll take that as an affirmative," Gunter's lip curled upward on one side.

"Well what are we waiting for?" Kamui continued. "Bring him in!"

"That's where things become a little complicated," Kaze warned, "he's en route with a small contingent of Nohrian soldiers towards Hoshido. Apparently they are trying to stop an invasion of Faceless. If we act quickly we might be able to deter the horde before they cause any significant damage, but we will have to hurry."

"Gear up then," Corrin commanded, knowing enough of the intricacies of the Astral Plane by now to know how much time would pass in the real world between a good night's sleep. "And sleep soundly. Tomorrow, we march at dawn."

Even with the lead Silas and his small company had had, they had not been able to stop the Faceless from rampaging towards a rural farming village. So sudden was the appearance of these monsters that the citizens had no time to prepare—and even if they had found the time, most of them were farmers, not fighters.

A older woman small girl armed with little more than a pair of hunting knives stood defensively around what remained of her cottage, fending off these enormous masses of meat from destroying what little there was left.

"Mozu!" the older woman called out, "It's no use! They'll get you too if you don't run now!"

"Mother!" Mozu shouted, "I reckon you'll be all I've got left after these things are through here! I need to keep you safe just a little… longer!" She lunged at an approaching Faceless, deftly stabbing both of her blades into the holes of the monster's mask, knocking it over where a series of swift, brutal stabs had the now-butchered creature remain motionless where it had fallen.

"We can do this, mother…" Mozu pleaded, racing back to her injured mother and trying to prop her over her shoulder, "Just lean on your good leg and we'll get you fixed up nice and easy once we're out of here!"

"Run, Mozu," her mother warned again, "Run now and don't look back. Those cavaliers are not likely here to help us!" There was an army of horse riders approaching from the west, and any Hoshidan living this close to the border knew that that meant Nohrians. Thus far, that was usually also a really bad sign for Hoshidans, especially in the wake of Queen Mikoto's death.

"I… ain't… leaving… you!" Mozu bellowed as she mustered her strength and hauled her mother along and away from the ruins. They reached the woods and stopped to catch their breath.

"Now wait just a minute, ma," Mozu offered, making sure her mother was comfortable, "I know just the thing that'll help your leg and we'll have you up in a jiffy."

Whether the timing of the attack was fortunate or unfortunate was hard to say, but whatever the case, Mozu had not gone far when she heard the sound of something heavy barrelling through the woods from the direction they had come. Mozu squealed and turned right back around, screaming for her mother.

"Run, Mozu!" she screamed, but Mozu was petrified in horror as she watched a particularly large Faceless strike her mother before lodging a gigantic fist right where her sternum had been.

"MOTHER!" Mozu stood frozen in horror as she saw the last of her flesh and blood brutally slaughtered in front of her eyes. The creature paused, pounding its blood-soaked fists together as it eyed Mozu—its next target. Mozu clenched her daggers and gritted her teeth, trying to look imposing, although knowing deep down that she was merely masking her fear. She was terrified, but with the facade she managed to put up, she could have fooled most people.

"My name is Mozu Kobayashi," Mozu gritted her teeth to keep herself from trembling, "you killed my mother. Prepare to die."

With a piercing scream, she lunged at the creature with such ferocity that she managed to catch it off-guard and slay it within seconds. However, her screams attracted attention—a lot of attention, both from the Faceless and from the Nohrians.

However, much to her good fortune, these Nohrians were on her side, and led by Kamui's friend Silas. They had arrived to try and stop the attack, but, having failed that objective, were now on damage control trying to prevent the Faceless from escaping the village, and attempting to find survivors. Many of them aimed for the woods, trying to find the source of the scream, while others scoured the area for survivors and any of the monsters that were still rampaging.

This was also the scene that Corrin and his troops arrived on, and luckily for them, Lilith had positioned them right next to Silas.

"Anna! Kaze!" he exclaimed, "you brought reinforcements!"

"I'm a woman of my word," Anna smirked, although it turned upside down real quick after seeing the devastating carnage that lay in front of them.

"What's the damage report?" Corrin asked him. "I apologize for the lack of friendly introductions, but I'm sure you can tell as well as I can the direness of our situation."

"I've got men looking for survivors," Silas explained, "we heard a scream from the woods, but obviously trying to get there…" he motioned towards the woods where swarms of Faceless were engaged in combat with Silas's men.

"I'm on it," Kamui declared, "Silas… you and I will talk after all of this is over. Until then…" she clutched her Dragonstone and transformed, bounding off.

"...Has she always been able to do that?" Silas looked at Corrin, "I take it you're related to her, aren't you?"

"That I am, and it's a long story," Corrin explained, "I'll tell you everything once we clear this place. Sound good?" He wasn't trying to be rude to Silas, but he and his soldiers were much more concerned with trying to find and save anyone they could rather than make polite conversation. Silas nodded understandingly and raced back into the fray.

"Soldiers!" Corrin ordered, "Battle formations! Search for survivors and protect any you find. Show no mercy to any Faceless you meet along the way!"

While Corrin's army tore through the legions of Faceless that were still ravaging what was left of the obliterated village, Kamui tore through the woods, nearly giving Mozu another heart attack as she saw an enormous dragon leap out of nowhere. She was even more shocked when it transformed into a girl with purple curls, clothed entirely except her head and her feet.

"Hey…" she said calmly, trying to get this girl to realize that she was not a hostile force, "are… are you alright over here?"

"Waaagh!" Mozu cried, the despair of her situation finally sinking in, and any preface or facade of confidence dissolving on the spot, "no… my mother, my friends… my village…"

She didn't finish, but Kamui followed her line of sight over to a bloodied corpse with its chest caved in, situated next to the corpse of a Faceless with blood on its fists. She put two and two together and gritted her teeth.

"Can you fight?" she asked.

"I… I can…" Mozu nodded, "I have to fight! For my mother! For my friends! For everything these monsters took from me and more!"

Despite the grimness of the situation, seeing Mozu's newfound burst of confidence, however brief, had brought some much-needed light to an otherwise bleak situation. Kamui had made it her goal to make sure that this young woman made it out of this mess alive and well, and that was a goal and a motive that she would not give up under any circumstances.

* * *

 _ **AFTERTHOUGHTS:** Mozu and Silas have not "officially" joined Corrin's army yet, and so they aren't listed here. Once the little arc of this story is over, they will likely make their joinings "official." Otherwise, thanks for reading, and remember... reviews are an author's lifeblood, and I enjoy your feedback, so keep 'em coming!_


	49. Chapter 49: A Comforting Conclusion

**AUTHOR'S NOTES:** _Slightly late, but here it is! I may or may not have been addicted to Fire Emblem Heroes which just came out, so there's also that. Either way, this is where Silas and Mozu officially join Corrin's army, and that in turn means more character development is on its way. Mozu's one of the more three-dimensional characters in the story, and so there's a lot I can do with her in that regard. Also, in other good news, I'm nearing 100 reviews on this story, and so thanks a bunch to everyone who's contributed, and to those who plan to. It's an author's lifeblood, and so every comment counts and is appreciated._  
 _I've rambled enough though. Happy Reading!_

 **CHAPTER 49: A Comforting Conclusion**

 _Sing with me a song of Solace and Grace..._

Silas and his men worked swiftly to dispatch the Faceless, but the horde was larger than they had anticipated. Corrin's army came in the nick of time to assist in that regard, and it was clear at once that whoever (or whatever) had sent these creatures had likely done so with intentions of reaching a larger target. This small village was likely just conveniently in the path of wherever their real destination was.

Faceless might not have been exactly sentient and thus were also not very bright, but they were not entirely stupid. They would never flee with enemies at their backs; for whether they realized it or if it was just programmed into them by their creators, they knew they were slower than most other enemies. They also knew how to fight and had at least a basic level of understanding of how to defend themselves.

On the other hand, against the ferocity of Mozu, now with an equally pissed off Kamui at her side, the Faceless began dropping like dominos. Corrin was surprised as he watched the trees and brush rustle as they approached the forest. He was unaware of Mozu, but had heard her screams earlier, and so wondered if Kamui had found the survivor or not.

Within a few minutes, he got the answer to his question as Kamui and Mozu burst from the woods, stabbing and slashing at anything that moved. Mozu was dirty and scratched up, but was surprisingly not bleeding too much. Kamui, by contrast, looked like she had gotten into a bloodbath and appeared to be missing her left eye.

"Blazes, sister!" Corrin gawked as he plunged his sword into one of the few remaining Faceless, "swim in enough blood today?"

"Well, it started smelling after a few minutes, and so the 42 faceless we slaughtered are still out there starting to rot." Kamui retorted, pointing a thumb over her shoulder back at the woods, "how is everyone else? Is Sakura keeping things straightened out?"

"She and Felicia are tending to the wounded as usual," Corrin nodded, "you though… you took a bigger beating than usual, and that says something. Did you lose an eye?"

"Nah, but I've got a nasty cut right above my eyebrow," Kamui shrugged, "I just got so hyped up in the fighting that I kind of just didn't notice. You know how berserkers are."

"And who is this?" Corrin smiled at Mozu, who seemed to be coming down off of her adrenaline rush and realizing the hopelessness of her situation. Kamui opened her mouth but then realized that she had not even asked the little farmer what her name was.

"I… I'm Mozu Kobayashi…" Mozu peeped, "Th-thanks for helping come and save me. I ain't sure there's really anything left to repay you with though…" she glanced around, sighing dejectedly as she beheld the carnage around her. The peerless bravery and vigor that she had fought the Faceless against had vanished as the cruel reality of her situation sunk in.

"Waugh!" she cried, "what am I gonna do!? They took my mother, my life, my village, my friends… everything is gone!"

Even through her one eye not caked in blood, Kamui could tell that there was nothing to recover from this awful place, and even if there was, the odds of them moving the 800-pound masses of flesh that were the Faceless corpses seemed unlikely. That would stink something awful within a day or two as well.

"We can't just leave her here," Silas suggested, although he was preaching to the choir.

"I would never do such a thing," Kamui pointed out, and Corrin actually nodded in agreement as if he had been about to say the same thing (which he had been). "Surely you've got some family or friends somewhere we can take you to, yeah?" She was totally on board with taking Mozu with them, but obviously if she had other relatives that she'd rather be with, that would make plenty of sense to her.

"There's no one that wasn't here in this village," Mozu frowned, "and I couldn't start over here even if we did manage to clean it all up. Every home, field, and life this village once cradled… gone and destroyed. I reckon nothing would even grow here either. Everyone I ever called family is dead, and every house a grave."

"We're taking her in." Kamui made an adamant statement. "Unless she says otherwise, we're taking her in and there's nothing you can do about it, Corrin."

"Do you suspect that I'm that heartless?" Corrin frowned, "if anything I thought I'd have to be the one arguing points to you about why we should help her."

"Well golly!" Mozu exclaimed, "if y'all are gonna help me out I'll do whatever I can to repay the favour. I might not be much of a fighter, but I can cook and hunt and farm and other chores like that, 'n stuff…"

"You had me at cooking." Kamui pulled Mozu into a hug that surprised the smaller girl, though there was a fleeting moment when it seemed the tension left Mozu's body as she felt a wave of reassurance of some kind. "No offense, Corrin, but since we can't have Jakob, Sakura, or Oboro on kitchen duty every night, sometimes the crap to come out of the mess hall has been less than appetizing. I bet Silas could cook me something good though…" she put her finger to her chin.

"Well shucks, if y'all need a chef to keep your bellies fed every night before a battle, you can count on me!" Mozu promised, feeling a little more confident that she could be useful in an army full of people that appeared to Mozu to be formidable soldiers, "at least 'til I can learn how to properly fight and all that. I wanna make sure I pull my weight."

"PFFT," Kamui snorted loudly, "not to be rude or anything, Mozu, but I saw you fighting those Faceless in the woods. You're a natural!"

"You're just shuckin' me," Mozu shook her head, "I was all stoked in the heat of the moment and mad at those monsters! And before you ask, no I'd really not wanna have to see what I saw today just to get me into the fighting spirit or whatever y'all call it."

"I like you more and more each time you open your mouth, kid," Kamui smiled approvingly, accidentally looking a little intimidating because of her sharper teeth and her "missing" eye. "And I mean that sincerely. You're smart and you're honest and not trying to be something you're not. You'll do just fine with us. I promise you that." She offered her hand.

Mozu hesitated for a moment, her eyes not making contact with Kamui's partially due to the dragon-girl's grotesque mosaic of blood on her face, but eventually she nodded and shook Kamui's hand, only to pull it back with slight disgust at the sight of the blood on it.

"I'd think that gettin' dirty was acceptable for a farmer, but don't y'all ever clean yourselves up after one of your battles?" Mozu was used to getting dirty with mud or old fruit or the likes, but blood outside of butchering livestock was not really her thing.

"Most of us do," Corrin shot Kamui a look, "Kamui's just barbaric and hasn't been exposed to proper civilization yet—not even rural farming civilization."

"Well then…" Mozu actually noticed the humor of the situation, "Maybe I kin' teach you a thing or two before the others teach you to be properly civilized, huh?" Kamui laughed.

"Let's get out of here," she suggested to the others, "and Mozu…" she paused, taking a deep breath to calm herself down and show her sincerity. "Barring my savage beahviours, I really want to let you know that I—that we—care for you. Don't go treating this like some favour to try and get something out of you. We helped you because that's what we do. I know what it's like not having any family to turn to, and it's depressing. I can guarantee with almost certainty that you'll be treated like family by everyone here."

True to Kamui's word, everyone that met Mozu found her particularly endearing. Oboro in particular took a liking to her right away, although found it rather funny when Mozu disclosed her age, considering her size.

"So that's really how old you are?" Oboro looked curious. Mozu was about a head shorter than most of the others, barring Sakura, Kamui, and Hana.

"I already said I ain't one for lyin'," Mozu declared, "I toldja I turn 19 right after the end of harvest."

"Alright," Oboro was not one to push the subject any further, "I apologize. I guess it just kind of caught me by surprise. You're so small and adorable!"

"Hey now, you don't need to go patronizin' me, y'hear?" Mozu crossed her arms.

"I'm not!" Oboro reasoned, "Sorry; I got a little ahead of myself. Let's get you cleaned up, and I'm sure you'll feel a whole lot better…"

While Oboro took charge of helping Mozu feel welcome and comfortable, Silas returned with Kamui and Corrin to the war room, where they were met by Gunter, Anna, Kaze, and Sakura. Silas gave the reports of what he knew.

"From what we learned, we heard that the Faceless were heading eastward towards the Wind Tribe," he explained, "we obviously aren't 100% sure, since we don't have spies in Hoshido, but that would be a safe place to move next if you want to make sure the Faceless don't lay them to ruin like they did with Mozu's village."

"Our sources confirm the same things, my liege," Kaze turned to Corrin, "we have not received much information beyond that, but I suggest we look into it as soon as we are able. In the meantime, we should rest up. That was quite the battle."

"I'll drink to that," Kamui nodded, "but first I should probably get cleaned up—and make sure my eye's gonna be okay. I'd hate to have to patch it up this early in my tender young life."

"Milady, must you always make things more dramatic than necessary?" Gunter voiced.

"I thought you'd know me by now, Gunter," Kamui cooed.

"I'm just glad that's over with," Sakura sighed, wiping her brow, "so much death and carnage… it was terrifying. Mozu really needs us now more than ever."

"And she will have our continued support." Corrin declared, "New Kamui is a blessing for us to have, both as a place to live and during this war effort. Silas, we've arranged barracks for your soldiers, and are honored to have you and them join our cause."

"It feels good to be able to use my skills for a righteous cause," Silas smiled. "It's also good to say hello to my old friend Kamui again. I suppose we have a lot of catching up to do."

"Oh, don't I know it," Kamui smirked. "In any case, meeting adjourned. Let's rest up and bit and when we decide our next course of action, we can all meet back here and whatnot."

Corrin nodded in agreement, and they went their separate ways. While Kamui's antics sometimes made him slap his forehead, he couldn't help but admire her tenacity and her fixation on making sure things got done. He was happy either way though. He felt they had done good work today, despite the losses. He just hoped that Mozu would be able to acquaint herself with him and his army and feel just as welcomed here as she was back in her village.

* * *

 _ **AFTERTHOUGHTS:** Mozu is definitely going to have a more "country" feel to her, particularly in her dialogue. Apparently in the original Japanese version of the game, it was more prevalent (akin to Donnel, from Awakening), but among the many fuckups that the localization team had, they apparently removed it. Either way, country-Mozu is here to stay. I also have some interesting plans for Silas, so stay tuned, and feel free to leave reviews!_

* * *

 **CHARACTERS RECRUITED:**

 **Silas:** _A recently appointed Nohrian knight of noble birth who is easygoing but dedicated. A childhood friend of Kamui, even to the point of a secret crush. He is both very kind and quite skilled for a man of his age, Silas demonstrates openness and altruism towards others with little thought of any kind of reward, and is extremely well-liked by Nohrians and Hoshidans alike as a result. Has the worst "bedhead" in the army. Born on 1 November (Age 22)_  
 _Class: Paladin_

 **Mozu:** _A daughter of farmers from a small village in Hoshido, she tries her best to help those around her. Her own humble origins have her overwhelmed to be around royalty all the time, but remains blunt and honest to a fault. While meek and often hesitant to pick up new skills, she is unabashed in most other circumstances, although still suffers flashbacks of the death of her fellow villagers, much to her dismay. Has the best survival skills in the army. Born on 6 October (Age 18)  
Classes: Sniper, Master of Arms_


	50. Chapter 50: The Farmer and the Tailor

**AUTHOR'S NOTES:** _And after a bit of a delay last week due to life-related things and a personal funk of mine, we now get to the big five-zero. We've come a long way and there's still a long way to go as we prepare to reach the game's 9th stage, which will definitely be what gets covered in the following chapter or two. For now though, the focus shifts a bit over towards Mozu and Oboro, who possess several interesting dynamics that make interactions between them very fun to write. As such, we're bound to see a lot more of those in the future. Also I'm sometimes bad at titles._  
 _In the meantime, Happy Reading!_

 **CHAPTER 50: The Farmer and the Tailor**

 _Sing with me a song of Trauma and Dreams..._

Mozu had a difficult time at first adjusting to her new life in New Kamui. The people there gave her no problems, and in fact were more the reason she kept a level head. The nightmares from that horrific night where the Faceless hordes had slain her mother and razed her entire village were still fresh on her mind though, and the next couple of days were plagued with flashbacks from that terrifying moment where her life was turned upside-down.

It was not just in her dreams either; sometimes even as she was just scouting the grounds she had visions of the monsters, even rubbing her eyes to double check to see if what she was viewing was real or not. Fortunately, it seemed there were no Faceless here.

"Don't worry," Kamui reassured her, "New Kamui has impregnable defenses against any intruder, and so far it doesn't seem like anyone can reach this place without knowing what and where it is to begin with."

"I know…" Mozu sighed, clutching her chest, "I reckon I just need something to help me pass the time. Can you make anything you want in this place?" She had heard how Kamui was able to manipulate these grounds with the power of Dragon Veins, but she didn't seem fully convinced that that was actually where this all had come from.

"Time to find out…" Kamui stamped her foot and suddenly a large patch of previously empty space turned into a well-tilled field.

"I dunno what you like growing, but I know you like farming." Kamui smiled. "Maybe that'll help keep you occupied?"

Mozu's face lit up like her birthday had come early. "You'd do all that for little ol' me?" she seemed flattered and impressed.

"It literally took almost no effort," Kamui chuckled, "besides, I'm happy to help."

It did help Mozu's morale over the next few days as she left no patch of ground unplanted. Kamui worked with Corrin to try and navigate closer to the Wind Tribe to help make transporting the army easier when the time came. Mozu was mostly left to her own devices, although Sakura came by every now and again, and the two of them bonded almost immediately.

The one that frequented Mozu's little farm the most, however, was Oboro.

Mozu was not alarmed; Oboro knew how to not be disruptive as she conversed, and she seemed to know a little about farming herself. More than that though, she was skilled at household chores (as Kamui knew rather well by now), which helped Mozu warm up to her rather quickly. There was one thing about the blue-haired spear master that Mozu couldn't shake off though, and eventually, she voiced it.

"Don't take this the wrong way or nothin', Oboro," she began, "but you always seem to be lookin' me over like I'm bein' evaluated or somethin'. I mean, if that's what you're into…"

"Gods no, Mozu!" Oboro laughed, though there was a mixture of incredulity in there as well ,"I was looking at you for something completely different. See, you know about my hobby of putting outfits together for people, yeah?"

"Well of course," Mozu stopped what she was doing and met Oboro's gaze. While humble, Mozu was not necessarily shy, so making eye contact was not difficult for her the way it was for other people. "Why?"

"Well… you're my next project." Oboro beamed, "I want to figure out a nice outfit for you, Mozu. Even when you're not caked in dirt your outfits are all a bit drab. No offense or anything; I just wanna help you fix that."

"Whaa?!" Mozu recoiled, putting her hands up to her chest as if defending herself, "B-but I like these clothes. They're comfy 'n practical for what I do."

"It can't hurt to try a few things on though, can it?" Oboro offered, "besides, it's not like you're out here farming 24 hours a day, right?"

"Aw, shucks," Mozu shook her head, "a country girl like me'd just be a waste of space in some of those fancy do's. I doubt I'd look half as good as you or any of them princesses."

"Psh," Oboro snorted, "it doesn't matter where you're from or even what you do. Part of my talent is being able to make anyone look their best no matter how humble their origins. Any girl can look good in the right outfit, you know…" She deliberately cut herself off there because she could see that Mozu was about to interject. Almost like clockwork, she did exactly that.

"And I look just fine in what I'm wearin' now." she pointed out.

"Not going to make this easy for me, are you…" Oboro mused before speaking again, "Well of course you're not going to want to wear fancy dresses when you're out tilling fields, silly!" she pointed out, "don't worry. I'll teach you how to carry the look once I decide on the right one…"

"Now I just know I'd be the laughingstock of the army if I tried putting on fancy clothes." Mozu argued, "those cute outfits and all that makeup would just look silly on me."

"That's ridiculous!" Oboro exclaimed, "first off, you already look great in what you've got on; and secondly, I never dress two people the same way. I would find colors and styles that suited you and really brought out the best in you. It'd be really easy actually. You're very pretty."

"Flattery will get you nowhere," Mozu saw through Oboro's facade, even if part of it was genuine.

"Mozu…" Oboro stifled a sigh, "aren't we friends?"

"We haven't known each other that long…" Mozu pointed out.

"Are you saying you don't trust me?" Oboro suddenly looked hurt.

"Shucks, I didn't mean it like that," Mozu vigorously shook her head, "but I can see what you're tryin' to do here. I ain't fallin' into your trap this time! You're just trying to guilt me so that you get your way!"

"What? I would never do such a thing!" Oboro gasped, although Mozu's surprisingly stern little glare had her cave a moment later. "Okay, maybe just a little, but really I'm just trying to help. You're adorable, Mozu, and I've always got an itch to dress up adorable things to make them even more so. Otherwise I get stuck with boorish thugs like Lady Kamui."

"Are ya sure you should be talking about a princess like that?" Mozu tilted her head, "I dunno all the honorifics for royalty just yet, but that seems a little rude."

"Nah, if she were here she'd laugh and agree with me," Oboro claimed (and incidentally, was spot-on in terms of how accurate said claim was). "But fine, if you want to turn down my offer, I'll just have to get back to you on it one of these days. Sorry if I came off as too forward or anything." Oboro was very assertive and she had not changed her ultimate goal, but at the same time she did not want to alienate the little traumatized farmer, especially when she was still likely in a very emotionally vulnerable state due to recent events.

"No… it's fine. I reckon I'm just a little frazzled right now. Usually we'd dress our best back at the village before holidays and festivals and the like… and I s'pose it just hits a little too close to home at this point."

"Ohh…" Oboro's face dropped and she suddenly felt horrible. "Gods, Mozu… why didn't just say so? I feel like SUCH an idiot now…" She was clearly beating herself up mentally, and seemed to be fighting not to do so physically.

"Are… are you doin' okay, Oboro?" Mozu tilted her head. "I didn't hurt your feelings or nothin', now, did I?"

"No, I'm just smacking myself for being such an insensitive twit," Oboro growled, before taking a deep breath and sighing. "...Nohrians killed my family too, Mozu. Not bumbling mindless monsters though; Cruel heartless bandits who were looking to make an extra coin at the expense of my mother and father's lives. Here I am pestering you right after you've gone through an event that's just as traumatic and I'm over here pressuring you and acting all insensitive towards your troubles. I'd have probably ripped someone's head off if they did it to me."

"Golly; don't do that…" Mozu gasped, "well, unless it's an enemy or somethin'... but shucks. I ain't mad at you over that or anything. It's all just kinda overwhelming, y'know? I ain't sure how well I'll be able to fit in with all these royal types."

"I used to wonder the same thing…" Oboro admitted. "It takes time, but just remember—the people here all support you. We're here to help, and that includes me."

Mozu paused, casting a curious glance at Oboro.

"And not just because I want to dress you up either," the blue-haired woman added, "although that would be a nice added bonus."

"I reckon I'll keep that in mind then." Mozu nodded. She understood at the very least that Oboro meant well, even if she came off as rather forward sometimes. One thing that was increasingly easy to accept at this point though was that Corrin and his team had not been lying. Most of them genuinely did wish to help her.

While Mozu didn't see them too much, Corrin and his soldiers had remained busy. He called another war council before the actual mobilizing would begin, to alert his sisters and their retainers about what lay ahead.

"We've tracked the monsters to the Endless Stair," Corrin began, "and should be able to beat them if we make our final preparations tonight and move out first thing in the morning."

"Doing so would be integral to our best interests," Kaze advised, "because failure would jeopardize the Wind Tribe, which could also serve as formidable allies if we gain their favour."

"We will do what we can to maintain diplomacy then," Corrin declared, "Does anyone else have anything to add?"

"Just my sword into some skulls," Kamui stated with a smirk, "although I'm also curious if those whispers about alcohol sages are true."

"That sounds like utter nonsense to me," Corrin shook his head, "especially this deep in Hoshidan territory."

"Perhaps it should not be fully discounted," Gunter advised, "but I would still like to discourage Lady Kamui from pursuing such legends when we have a war we need to be focusing on."

"Hey now," Kamui reasoned, "Drinking's fun and all, but I'm not about to go abandon everything we've worked for just to chase after some fantasy. Well… not unless I thought it would greatly help the war effort. Even then though, I'd need way more evidence and a much better lead if I was ever going to pursue anything like that. You've got my full support, Corrin. Whatever you decide to do tomorrow as we fight out way up the Endless Stair, I've got your back."

"And I've got yours," Silas promised as he smiled at Kamui. "It feels good to know that me and my soldiers are finally fighting for a good cause without having to turn on Nohr."

"I'll drink to that." Kamui smirked, "whatever these bastards try to throw at us tomorrow… we'll be ready."

When the meeting adjourned a few moments later, even Corrin left feeling a lot more confident about their predicted outcome. Tomorrow was going to be a busy day.


	51. Chapter 51: The Eternal Stairway

**AUTHOR'S NOTES:** _Due to my new job, weekly updates will probably start being on Tuesdays instead of Mondays, but I still plan to keep it at least once a week or more. Either way, this chapter sets up a lot for the upcoming chapter, where we will delve into the game's 9th stage and deal with the wild ride that it entails. We also see the return of a familiar face or two, get a little more insight on Mozu's current mental state, and have a few other wild adventures in store. So strap in, enjoy the ride, and please review!_  
 _Happy Reading!_

 **CHAPTER 51: The Eternal Stairway**

 _Sing with me a song of Caverns and Winds..._

The Eternal Stairway turned out to feel exactly like its name suggested. On and on it trekked with no remorse for those who travelled it, with the desolate rocky crags bringing them ever closer to the Wind Tribe. There were no signs of the attacking Faceless just yet, and so Corrin hoped that they had gained a lead on the monsters. In the meantime, all they could do was keep walking and keep their wits about them. In the meantime, a lot of the army bantered with one another to pass the time.

Corrin was skeptical of how Kamui had no trouble whatsoever with walking barefooted on the sharp rocks of the cavern. She simply shrugged and commented that Azura did it too.

"Well sure," Corrin indicated, "but she's a lot lighter on her toes than you. You have this weird hunched stumping around when you're carrying a weapon."

"The rocks are nothing, and not nearly as uncomfortable as shoes." Kamui quipped. "I could be walking through snow and it wouldn't faze me."

"Don't give me ideas, Lady Kamui," Oboro quipped from behind them, "If Lord Corrin willed it, I would find or design something not even you could resist."

"Don't try me either," Kamui laughed, "if I perceive something as a challenge I'll inevitably and unfailingly accept it as such."

"Touché," Oboro chirped. "Perhaps I'll draw more ideas from the next book you put out?"

"Which one?" Kamui turned around for a moment, "Please don't say Dancers and Diviners… that one's trash."

"Well… I was actually talking about The Hero in Hoshido, but I also really want to study the details of that dancer's outfit from your first book. Your writing was so detailed that I could see it in my mind and I want to design it."

"You would do that?" Zenzi's ears literally twitched and perked up to the point where the hair on the sides of her face fluttered. "I-I mean… obviously you wouldn't need to do it for me or anything…" she looked down at her hands and began wringing her fingers.

"Nonsense," Oboro chuckled, "I was originally going to try and find a way to force Kamui into it, but I feel like someone like you would make better use of it. I'll start drawing up plans after we get out of here alive, so no dying on me, okay, Zenzi?"

"Well hey, if it gets me out of it, then by all means, please feel free to design it for Zenzi," Kamui smirked. Roku kept his eyes ahead of them, although images of Zenzi in brilliant and exotic attire made the corner of his lip curl up.

"Watch yourselves," he warned. "The fog's getting thicker."

Mozu trembled, clutching her jagged hunting knives tighter. "That's exactly what happened right before them Faceless attacked!" she cried, "Don't let your guards down!"

She herself migrated towards the middle of the group as much as she could. Already the fog was swirling around her, and she could see legions of the monsters coming up from behind, grabbing whoever was nearest with their massive hands and slamming them against the rock, bones cracking and blood splattering out from the point of impact.

"Mozu…" A voice swirled in her head, sounding urgent, like a call for help. Mozu shrank, bracing for what she thought was her inevitable end…

"Mozu?" the girl yelped as she felt a hand on her shoulder, although it snapped her out of her trance as she glanced around. Silas stood in front of her, with the rest of the army only a little ways ahead. Mozu sighed, still gasping for breath.

"Are you alright?" the silver-haired Nohrian looked Mozu in the eyes, a look of concern on his face as he noticed Mozu's frightened visage.

"Criminy…" she murmured, "yeah, I'm okay… just shaken is all. Has anyone up there run into any Faceless yet?"

"No, but the fog is getting thicker," Silas warned, "so being behind and away from the army like this is probably not a good move. Here, hop up!" he offered his hand to help Mozu onto his horse and rode back to catch up with the rest of the army.

"Did you want to talk about it?" he offered. Mozu shook her head.

"Did you want to talk to Lady Sakura about it?" This seemed an odd offer from Silas, but that was actually who he had been conversing with before finding Mozu. If there was anyone that could listen to someone's problems without becoming judgmental in the slightest, it was her.

"Oh no… not here or now, anyhoo," Mozu shook her head again, "maybe after we get somewhere safe, but I'm sure them princesses and princes are busy with royal stuff to be too concerned about li'l ol' me."

"They're not as high and mighty as you think," Silas chuckled, but almost as if this was a cue of sorts, a loud, 8-second belch that changed pitches at least three times thundered through the ranks, and immediately nearly everyone was glaring at Kamui.

"What?" she spread her arms defensively, a nearly empty bottle in her left hand.

"Now if there's any Faceless here they're going to know right where we are," Hana snapped at her. "Oboro was right about you, Lady Kamui."

"Isn't that what we want though?" Kamui reasoned, turning to Corrin to see what kind of tactical advice he could offer, "either they storm the Wind Tribe unannounced—since let's face it: they're ahead of us and we aren't overtaking them—or we deal with them and thin the numbers before they raze the 'tribe the way they did to Mozu's village."

"Yes!" Mozu called out with a stroke of confidence, "If they're here, I reckon we should fight 'em before they get away! No one should have to see… have to see the things I did…"

She frowned again, leaning against Silas' back without really realizing what she was doing.

Corrin froze for a moment as he put his fingers to his chin. Times like this made him contemplate growing a beard simply so he could stroke it when he was musing and mulling various thoughts over.

"I actually think Kamui is right." Corrin admitted, "we should draw their attention to us, since we're aware of their presence and all of us are seasoned fighters. While the Wind Tribe is fully competent, many of them are inevitably civilians."

"So we need noise then?" Oboro raised her eyebrow.

"That's the gist of it," Corrin suggested.

"Righto then," Kamui chugged the rest of her bottle of whiskey, smashed it against her own head and then clutched her dragonstone. "Tally ho!"

She transformed into the black and grey dragon and emitted an echoing roar. Sure enough, from ahead up in the distance, the thundering sound of Faceless could be heard as they stomped back to follow the sound of Kamui's roar.

"Prepare for battle," Corrin called out, "and show no mercy—for there will be none received."

Despite it being an uphill battle, Corrin's army retained an edge against the Faceless, and many of them seemed like they had gotten into some sort of scuffle before meeting Corrin. Whatever the case, the army made quick work of them and were able to traverse the Endless Stairway with relative ease until they made it to the exit.

"How strange…" Azura mused, "normally there are guards and a small patrol placed along these walls to alert the Tribe of trespassers or visitors… did the Faceless…"

Whether or not they were killed by Faceless was unclear, for there was no blood and no bodies. There were, however, a few of the monsters stumping and stomping about, as if looking for something else to slam their fists into.

Corrin and Kamui caught the monsters by surprise and made quick work of them, but only after the last one fell did they learn the terrifying truth about these Faceless. The fog that surrounded them thickened, and a moment later it dissipated to reveal the lifeless forms of several Wind Tribespeople. A cackle on a nearby rock revealed the culprit of this little illusion.

"Having a nice little trip yet, Kamui?" Iago cooed from his vantage point.

"Iago, you fucker, I swear I'm gonna rip you right in half!" she lunged, already launching herself up the side of the rock with remarkable speed.

"Oh, no; I'm not here to chat," he leered, "Uncle Iago just wanted to send his and King Garon's regards!" And with that, he vanished right as Kamui launched herself skyward and plunged her sword into the rock just below where he had been standing. She cursed loudly and rejoined the others, who proceeded with caution.

"So what's the plan?" Kamui turned to her brother.

"We can't just quietly move on without at least telling the truth," Corrin frowned.

"I hate it when you're right," Kamui grunted, "we're right behind you."

They did not have to go too far before running into living Tribespeople.

"Come," a woman extended her hand. "Chieftain Fuga will decide your fate."

"I don't suppose we're in much of a position to argue…" Corrin sighed.

"Like hell am I going down without a fight…" Kamui whispered.

"Not now, Kamui." Corrin sighed. There was silence as the small army was led to Fuga's keep, and soon, the twins were situated in front of Fuga himself.

"Explain yourselves." His voice seemed surprisingly calm, almost as if this was a loaded question. But he refused to say what he wished explained, and so Corrin began with an honest recounting of why they had come this way, ending with his admittance that they had accidentally slain the Wind Tribe sentinels under Iago's illusion.

"I have heard the story from the voices of my men and women that still speak and draw breath," the large and rather imposing Wind Tribe Chief spoke, "and I am unsure of what to make of it. Do you truly claim that it was a sorcerer that bewitched your eyes?"

"I neither had nor have any intentions of wishing or inflicting ill upon your people willfully," Corrin explained, "I apologize and we are willing to pay penance if needs be."

"That will not be necessary," Fuga explained, "For it seems there was a woman that vouched for you—in particular, for your Nohrian sister. Rinkah… step forward.

Rinkah appeared in front of them in an unusual state of undress. She was barefoot and in shorts, and her right hand was bound and bloody. There was also a rather large cut across her left arm, and her right eye was bruised and swollen. Corrin only briefly saw it as she walked in, but her back looked like it had been whacked a few times with a butcher knife.

"Rinkah?" Kamui gawked, "what happened to you?"

"I came ahead of you to inform Fuga of a discovery I had made, but I ran into some trouble." Rinkah explained, before turning to Fuga. "and I'll testify for these sunsabitches that they're here to help, and were probably here to warn you of the attack that they just stopped in its tracks. You'd be wise to help 'em out, Chief."

"You did voluntarily help our tribe with selfless motivation," Fuga explained, "and that is not a debt that will go unpaid."

"Then we need your support," Rinkah declared, "we'll learn in time about the real enemy, but more importantly, Chief… I have learned about… them."

"The sages?" Fuga raised an eyebrow, "Those of the alcoholic disposition, no less?"

"The very alcohol sages spoken of in the legends," Rinkah smirked. "But I'm not telling you a damn thing until you promise your support."

"Conviction," Fuga smirked, "I like it. Very well. I offer my support, but on one condition."

"The game?" Rinkah glanced at Fuga. Fuga did not reply immediately, but his grin spread until it was practically ear to ear.

"The game," Fuga nodded. "Prove to me your convictions, Prince Corrin; Princess Kamui; Princess Sakura, and those who follow you. Come with me."

Corrin was not sure what Rinkah and Fuga had just planned for them and their group, but he had a feeling it was not going to be a walk in the park.

* * *

 **AFTERTHOUGHTS:** _Like Mozu and Silas a few chapters ago, Rinkah has not officially joined the group yet, but she'll inevitably have her bio show up at the end of the next chapter for sure._


	52. Chapter 52: Mr Fuga's Wild Ride

**AUTHOR'S NOTES:** _I do not apologize for the name of this chapter. In other news, I'm working full-time and so updates might be a little slower, but I'm gonna still try and update at least once a week on Tuesdays. Anyways, here's the fated Wind Tribe chapter. Instead of trying to go with the nonsense of Fuga and co. not believing Corrin's intentions by clutching the Idiot Ball, instead, mistakes are made and Fuga challenges them to a nonviolent test of ability (because "oh you killed my men. to prove your innocence, you need to kill [or at least maim] some more of my men!" doesn't make sense). Anyways, here's the 52nd installment of my 'Silent Dragons' series._  
 _Happy Reading!_

 **CHAPTER 52: Mr. Fuga's Wild Ride**

 _Sing with me a song of Trials and Winds..._

Fuga led them to a rather treacherous series of winding platforms. "The goal of this game is simple…" he explained, "Reach me and topple me, without falling off the platforms. The winds will beat against you and your army, and you'll be against my own tribespeople in this event. Should you topple me and my people, you will reign victorious. Should your group all fall, then it shall be counted as a defeat."

"What happens if we win?" Corrin asked, "and what happens if we lose?"

"Should you win," Fuga explained, "then you will have my tribe's support in your crusade. Should you lose… then I will allow you on your way, and perhaps test your fortitude when it is worthy of my strength. No weapons are necessary for this tournament. Only your raw strength and resilience against my winds and my people. Should you have any further questions, Princess Rinkah will be happy to tell you. She is one of the few that has won my game. When you are ready to begin, strike that gong behind you."

With this, Fuga propelled himself skyward with a powerful blast of air, and landed on a distant platform across the 'arena'. Corrin and his army immediately all turned to Rinkah.

"Okay, so basically you just need to not fall off." Rinkah explained, "I mean, it won't hurt too much since it's just sand down there, but you'll probably have to disrobe if you ever want to get it out of those hard-to-reach spots."

"Is that why you're only half-dressed?" Anna quipped.

"Actually no," Rinkah laughed, "It's because those tribespeople said my clothes were too torn and bloody from my last fight to keep wearing. Wind Tribe women are pretty stubborn about the weirdest things. Anyways… the biggest thing is to learn the patterns of the wind and use them to your advantage. It's really something you just need to see for yourself."

A couple dozen Wind Tribe men and women lined the platforms between Corrin and Fuga. Corrin and his army disarmed themselves, though none of them removed any gear, armor or clothing apart from their weapons, since the tribalists had done the same. Silas, Gunter, and Subaki dismounted as well, not wanting to risk their steeds to the whims of Fuga's gales.

"Are you ready for Mr. Fuga's Wild Ride?" Rinkah licked her lips as she lifted the mallet.

"We're ready," Corrin gulped. He glanced around at his companions to see how they felt about this. Sakura, Felicia, and Mozu looked expectedly nervous. Gunter, Kaze, Roku, Anna, and Jakob were reserved and collected. Hana, Subaki, Silas, Oboro, and Kamui were doing a few warm-up stretches before the game started, and Zenzi and Azura were taking deep, calming breaths.

"Then let's get ready to rumble!" Rinkah hit the gong, and Fuga chanted. Suddenly, fierce winds picked up and a few people staggered immediately. Fortunately no one lost their footing in the opening seconds, but the game had begun.

Among their adversaries was a younger boy who was clearly rather talented at manipulating the winds. He fired several of them off at Corrin's group, pumping his fist after successfully knocking Subaki of all people off the platform first. Hana made the mistake of finding vindication in this moment, and one of Fuga's fierce winds sent her flying. She tried using her momentum to grab the ledge of the next nearest platform, but she plunged to the ground as well, striking the ground in a small 'poof' of fine sand.

Corrin took the approach rather slowly, using caution to keep his footing. He was briefly distracted as he heard Sakura shriek as she was blown away. However, instead of falling, she was picked up so easily that she was blown clear over to the next set of platforms. Of course, with the tribalists surrounding her, they began closing in.

"I'm coming, Lady Sakura!" Corrin cocked his head to see Zenzi flip rather elegantly through the air, catching a breeze and floating on it with such grace that it almost looked like she was flying.

While Silas outlasted Anna, Mozu, and surprisingly Kaze and Roku, he was soon blown off the platforms as well. This did not sit well with Kamui, who charged in.

"I'm okay, Kamui!" Silas called out as he realized what she was doing, "don't do anything rash!"

Kamui was doing something rash, but not violent. She charged right into four tribalists and knocked them down, taking them off the platforms with her. It removed her from Fuga's game obviously, but it also took out four of the wind-churning adversaries.

Rinkah was struggling as well. While she had managed to come to Zenzi and Sakura's aid earlier, she was staggering, clearly due to her injuries.

"I've got this…" she muttered as Sakura tried to heal her, "you two stay focused. I'm gonna ride this breeze." the gusts turned around and Rinkah lunged. However, she stepped poorly (likely due to either an internal injury, or one covered by her shorts) and so wound up colliding with the wall instead of landing on the platform. Fortunately for her, her back struck the wall rather than her front, but she slumped to the ground, her head hung for now.

Sakura managed to stay safe with Zenzi's graceful protection, but when she got separated from Zenzi again, Zeni spun around to try and protect her. Instead though, Sakura collided with Roku, and both of them tumbled into the sand below.

"Are… you alright, Lady Sakura?" Roku was clearly not too comfortable with a woman (that was not Zenzi) landing on top of him like this, but he was a retainer and Sakura wa sa princess, and Roku knew enough about duty to know that helping her was important.

"I'm fine…" Sakura heaved a sigh of relief as she crawled off of him. "Th-thank you for asking."

"Mm." Roku nodded to acknowledge her, but said little more.

Azura's light-footedness got her right up to Fuga where she faced him in hand-to-hand combat. Her speed kept her well up with Fuga's pace, but Fuga's girth and body mass was nearly three times that of Azura's slender, lithe frame, and so one well-aimed strike backed by raw strength and Azura sprawled off the edge of Fuga's platform as well. She had, however, cleared a decent path to Fuga by removing a lot of the tribalists that stood between Corrin's army and Fuga, though there were still a handful of the proficient ones, including the powerful red-haired boy that had harassed them with his wind magic earlier. He identified himself to Oboro as Hayato before launching her from his platform. She tumbled off, but was roughly seized by the ankle by Gunter.

"On your feet, Hoshidan," he grunted, pulling Oboro back up. "I apologize if the save was a little rough, but I imagine it is preferable to slamming into stone."

"Right…" Oboro shook her head, conflicted between Gunter's Nohrian heritage and his militaristic no-nonsense attitude. On the other hand, he had gone out of his way to not only save her, but also protect her from harm, and had not tried to make any further point of it apart from assisting an ally. She'd worry about it later. As one of the few members of Corrin's army still engaged in Fuga's wild ride, she decided to stick with Gunter.

A surprisingly effective fighter in this kind of situation was Felicia. While Corrin had quickly learned that Felicia's grace with foodservice and preparation was mediocre at best and horrifying at worst, the pink-haired girl fought and moved with remarkable grace, especially for a woman in a frilly skirt and heels. She pivoted on her heels, suplexing a tribalist that had tried to knock her down and following up with a kick aimed squarely in another tribalist's face. The kick itself was impressive enough, but so was Felicia's flexibility, considering that for a moment her foot had been higher in the air than the crown of her head.

She was the one to confront Hayato and keep him busy as Zenzi and the others tried making it to Fuga. For a moment the winds seemed to slow.

"I've always been curious about the practicality of Nohrian attire," Hayato commented, "that certainly doesn't look like an outfit to fight in… let alone leave the bedroom in."

"And who might you be?" The battlefield was Felicia's element, much more so than household chores and activities, "

"I am Hayato Miyazaki," Hayato replied, "and the one to prevent you from reaching my Chief."

"Oh yeah?" Felicia retorted as she dodged a blast of wind and retaliated with an icy breeze from her own hands, "well I'm Felicia Kunaluk, and I'm here to stop you!"

"We shall see!" this youngster was surprisingly eloquent for someone who looked so young. He caught Felicia off-guard and blew her off the platform. However, she rescued herself in a rather unorthodox manner.

Weapons were not explicitly banned in Fuga's tournament; just that they were not to be used on other people. That said nothing about inanimate objects though. Felicia didn't realize this was the case at the time, but later found it ironic. In the meantime, she kicked up a knife hidden under one of her boots, and pulled another knife off that was strapped to her upper thigh. She stabbed these into the wall of the structure to suspend her fall before wrenching one out and stabbing it a foot or two higher. She repeated this action with her other knife, essentially "climbing the wall" with her blades until she was back up. She was just in time to watch Hayato blast Gunter and knock him into Oboro, sending both of them tumbling into the abyss. Corrin was already gone, leaving just her and Zenzi to try and stop Fuga. Fortunately, only two other tribalists remained, and they seemed to be playing an evasive game with Zenzi while Hayato bombarded her with gusts of wind.

So fixated was Hayato on Zenzi that he didn't even see Felicia get right up behind him and give him a nice push right off the ledge.

"Ha!" she laughed, still shocked at how lucky she had been, "I bet you weren't expecting THAT, now, huh?" Obviously Hayato did not reply, nor would he even if he were able to. His pride was far too wounded for that sort of thing.

Now only a few tribalists stood between Felicia, Zenzi, and Fuga. Felicia turned to her fellow pink-haired comrade.

"Y-you should confront him," she suggested, "I'll probably slip up when I least expect it and then we'd lose. I'll deal with these guys in the meantime!"

"A-are you sure?" Zenzi blushed, "you'd really sacrifice yourself for this?"

"Well it's not like we're gonna die from it, are we?" Felicia pointed out, "at worst I'll just find my head buried in the sand and have someone pull me out by the legs. Go! Go!"

Zenzi couldn't argue Felicia's point any further, because she sprinted past the remaining tribalists, who were then cut off by Felicia who kept them occupied.

"Ah, the Dancer from Hoshido…" Fuga smirked as he confronted Zenzi, "show me what you do… prove to me that your convictions are worth my support!"

Fuga was much faster than his large frame might have suggested, but Zenzi was light on her feet and had lightning reflexes and reactions times to match.

"Do let your liege know that he has formidable troops," Fuga continued his ruthless barrage of wind as he fixed his aim on Zenzi, "and that you are a talented dancer."

Instead of replying, Zenzi lunged and caught Fuga off-guard, throwing him off of his platform and into the sands below. When she realized what she had done, she gasped. Fuga got to his feet, brushed the sand off of him, and with a wave of his hands, the winds stopped.

Corrin's army had completed Fuga's challenge.

* * *

 **CHARACTERS RECRUITED:**

 **Rinkah:** _Daughter of the Flame Tribe's chieftain, with fiery abilities and a physique to match. Passionate and powerful, she refuses to quit and will shrug off injuries until she starts feeling woozy from blood loss. While she comes off as distant and sometimes even hostile, she is actually just an introvert who appreciates solitude and fiercely maintains her own tribal traditions, disregarding many "civilized" rules. The one with the highest pain tolerance. Born on 5 February (Age 16)  
Class: Oni Chieftain_


	53. Chapter 53: Wisdom of the Winds

**AUTHOR'S NOTES:** _A day late, and I apologize. Life happens. Anyhoo, Hayato joins the group, and the two main tribalists discuss various issues of great importance. Don't worry too much about the stuff between Rinkah and Fuga though. More important is the wisdom Fuga shares with our good friend Corrin, and his fans will be pleased to hear that this chapter mainly centers around him this time. Also, Corrin's last name (which is thus the same surname of the Hoshidan Royal Family). It's not some deep hidden meaningful name or anything; I just wanted a formal way to address them without having to use titles all the time. I've got the surname for Kamui and her Nohrian siblings written down as well, but it'll be revealed at a later point._  
 _Happy Reading!_

 **CHAPTER 53: Wisdom of the Winds**

 _Sing with me a song of Councils and Flames…_

True to Felicia's fearful prediction, she had somehow landed upside-down in the sand and had to be pulled out by her legs. A few people were dizzy, bruised, or otherwise disoriented, but overall no one on either side was terribly hurt. Kamui and Rinkah were the only ones bleeding at all, and since neither of them seemed too concerned about blood or pain, no one, not even Corrin, said much about it.

Either way, Corrin's army and the Wind Tribespeople were collecting themselves and meeting back at the Wind Tribe's palace. It was not by any means majestic the way Hoshidans and Nohrians imagined a palace or castle to be, but it was clearly the home of the tribe's leadership, which in this case was Fuga. Soon enough, Corrin and Fuga stood face to face with one another, with Hayato and a few others surrounding the Wind Chieftain; and Sakura, Azura, Kaze, and Rinkah behind Corrin.

"I am a man of my word," Fuga began, "and you and your army have proven worthy."

"Even with right near everyone but the maid taking a spill?" Rinkah raised her eyebrows.

"Winning my game, even if only by one woman, is still a victory," Fuga pointed out, "and I could see the conviction in the eyes of this young man and his entire army. You are definitely Sumeragi's son, Corrin Ikarayu. I see much of him in you."

"You knew my father?" Corrin looked surprised.

"I knew him well." Fuga sighed, "And the world was a sadder place upon his passing. He and I were troublemakers in our day, but those are stories for another time. Just know that had he been here to see what you and your soldiers did this day, he would be proud."

"Despite what…" Corrin paused, scratching the back of his scalp, "erm, happened earlier?"

"We cannot simply allow wrongdoings against our tribe be ignored," Fuga warned, "but now that we know the perpetrator, we shall make those truly responsible pay their penance in their own due time," Fuga explained, "I believe your tale, Lord Corrin. After all, the Dawn Yato would not choose just anyone to be its wielder."

Corrin nodded, before turning to Fuga again. "Chieftain Fuga… a word, if I may?"

"Very well," Fuga turned to Hayato and the others around him. "Lord Corrin and I would like a word. You are dismissed for now."

"Likewise," Corrin turned to the others. Azura had already disappeared, Kaze vanished on the spot after little more than a nod, and Rinkah stumped out to go get cleaned up.

"I… didn't mean to put it so bluntly," Corrin apologized as Sakura got up to see herself out. "It's nothing too secret; just also not things I want to discuss with so many people in the room. You can stay if you want though."

If there was anyone in Hoshido—or anywhere in Ferevs for that matter—that could keep a secret and/or be non-judgmental in nearly all cases, it was Sakura. Her presence had a soothing effect not only on Corrin, but also on anyone she was around.

With a nod, Sakura simply crossed her legs and sat down again, and Corrin continued. Fuga seemed to be anticipating the next question, and so he actually spoke first.

"I take it something personal is on your mind, young prince."

"Several things, actually," Corrin admitted, "the first one being about the Yato. Obviously you know I wield the Dawn Yato, and I'm sure you're familiar with the Dusk Yato as well."

"Ahh... " Fuga put his fingers to his chin for a moment, "you're inquiring about your sister, is it?"

"I'm not one to judge people by worthiness or anything obviously," Corrin addressed, "but she and I are so different, and yet were both found worthy. Do the blades hold different standards, or is there something I'm missing here?"

"Just as Night and Day serve different purposes, so too do the twin blades you and your sister wield." Fuga explained, "You stand as a level-headed tactician who puts safety above strength, while your sister is much fiercer and cares little for her own well-being as she fights to protect others. You display your might through tact and diplomacy, while she relies on raw strength. The Dusk Yato likely chose your sister Kamui for that reason. Is there something about this that concerns you?"

"It's not so much that," Corrin shook his head, "and more about how strong she is. People rally around me as the leader of this army, but if I'm not even the strongest one out there, why am I the one that others look to?"

"Being a leader is not always about strength, Corrin," Fuga explained, "while a certain degree of strength is paramount to maintaining one's image and reputation as a leader and an icon, you have demonstrated that prowess already. What makes a true leader, however, is someone who cares for each and every member of the group; and someone who can act in the best interests of the people involved. Those are the traits you embody the most."

Fuga noticed the still somewhat concerned look in Corrin's eyes, and so continued.

"Your sister Kamui is incredibly powerful." he warned him, "the Dusk Dragon wields many weapons with natural proficiency, and now seeks to expand her arsenal with mastery over her dragon form as well. She is a warrior that will be remembered through the ages as a symbol of power and might. But, she also seems to understand that she is no leader. She is far too brash and reckless, and she seems to know it. I'm sure that you could discuss it with her if you think she is more worthy to lead your army than you are, but from what I have seen of her, I think I know how she will respond."

"Oh?" Corrin raised an eyebrow, clearly paying attention.

"She has little interest in leadership," Fuga explained.

"How do you know so much about her?" Corrin couldn't help but wonder, considering that he doubted Kamui had ever been to the Wind Tribe before, and also doubted that Fuga had ventured terribly far into Nohr or to wherever Kamui's fortress had been.

"I have lived long enough to be able to learn a lot about how people are simply from how they move when faced with the wind," Fuga explained, "part of the reason I challenged you and your army to my game was to learn for myself how they operated. For example: your retainer Zenzi moves with a certain elegance and wariness to her steps, showing signs of reservation and shyness. By contrast, even if I didn't know her very well, Princess Rinkah's movements showed her ferocity and recklessness, mixed with the fiery passion that one would expect from the Flame Tribe. Even if you look at my apprentice Hayato and how he moved, you can see his drive to prove himself and his abilities."

"Are you like a sage or something?" Corrin was skeptical as Fuga explained more of the deductions he had made about Corrin's army during the fight, "because we could use that kind of power to help save Ferevs."

"I am no sage," Fuga shook his head, "Just an old man who has lived long enough to know the tells. Although that does remind me that I must converse with Princess Rinkah after this about certain beer sages—but I digress. I can tell you what you need to know, particularly about wielding that blade you hold in your hand The Yato is the key to what's known as the Seal of Flames."

"How much do you know about that then?" Corrin raised his eyebrow.

"Not enough to be able to say much more on the matter, admittedly," Fuga confessed, "but I do know this: It is the key to unlocking the full power of the Yato—and if the legends are true, contains the might to topple even a god."

Corrin was speechless for a moment as he took that in. Perhaps Anankos and the Valla threat could be ended after all.

"Archduke Izana in Izumo would know more than what this old man can tell you though," Fuga continued, "I suggest you seek him out. Our tribe will also provide aid, both in terms of a small contingent of soldiers, as well as our friend Hayato."

As if this was his cue (which, it actually was), the short, red-haired boy appeared in the room again. He briefly made eye-contact with Sakura, who was quietly sitting behind Corrin and taking everything in, but then looked down at the ground.

"Don't worry about me," he assured Corrin, "I can fend for myself and will do what I can to prove to be a valuable asset to your army and your cause. You have my word as a Wind Tribe Apprentice, and I won't let you down."

"I trust you as much as I trust Fuga's judgment," Corrin reasoned, "did you think I was going to roll my eyes at the idea of you joining us because you look young?"

"Actually…" Hayato tapped his toes against the floor, "that's kind of exactly what I thought. It's relieving to not hear you say that, as a matter of fact."

"Sakura here is a swift lesson in not judging people by their size." Corrin smiled and offered his hand to bring Sakura to her feet, since they were getting ready to leave, "welcome aboard, Hayato Miyazaki."

"Y-yes," Sakura added, a little nervous for Corrin's unintentional putting her on the spot, "welcome! I hope you like it with us…"

Kamui was one of the first ones waiting outside of Fuga's council room when they finally stepped out. Corrin introduced Hayato to generally positive reactions, and Kamui was one of the first people to step forward.

"So what's the word, brother?" she asked. Sakura glanced at her as if wondering if she should share what Fuga had said about her or not.

"We head to Izumo," Corrin declared, "We seek Archduke Izana and his knowledge of the Seal of Flames. Our end goal is now known."

"I take it there will be an explanation for us normal folks as to what that 'Seal of Flames' is,yeh?" Mozu piped up, "I mean, I don't wanna be rude or nothin'; I just kinda wanna know what we're going after, y'know?"

"Of course," Corrin chuckled. "Anything I feel this army should know, I will not hesitate to share with you. This is by no means a personal quest of mine. This is about everyone, for everyone."

"Aye then," Rinkah nodded, now dressed back in most of her normal attire apart from her boots, "Then let's get going! Well… first I need a word with the Chief. I don't think he'll be joining us just yet, but I might be able to give him a nudge in the right direction."

Corrin obliged and Rinkah slipped back into Fuga's council room, where the old man had begun to meditate. He opened an eye as he heard the door open, however, and opened his other one upon seeing that it was Rinkah.

"I was wondering when you would return, princess." Fuga grinned.

"Well, I don't have all the details yet, but this is what I got regarding the alcohol sages." Rinkah smirked, pulling a piece of parchment out from under the mask she wore on the back of her head. "There's a reason I almost never take it off, you know."

"Ah…" Fuga nodded as he took the small scroll and read it, "this is wonderful news. Thank you, Rinkah. I will consider your offer as more information unfolds."

"Perfect," Rinkah smirked again, flashing her not-quite-pearly-white teeth. "I'm certain we'll cross paths sooner rather than later…"

With that, she left the room, returning to the army with a rather loud kick to the door. "Tribal business," she muttered to Corrin before turning to the others. "Alright," she announced to the crowd that was already making the final preparations to begin their travels, "Let's get moving!"

No one needed to be told twice, and within less than 10 minutes, the army was moving southward out from the Wind Tribe's territory, and south towards Izumo—where their next challenge was already awaiting them...

* * *

 **CHARACTERS RECRUITED:**

 **Hayato:** _An orphan from the Wind Tribe raised by their chief, Fuga. He is a magical prodigy, but baby-faced and overcompensates with high-handed speech. He is very sensitive about his height, and gets defensive any time someone brings it up. Being from the Wind Tribe, his steps, movements, and magical attacks are often backed with the natural powers and abilities blessed to those of his tribe. The easiest to startle. Born on 19 September (Age 17)  
_ _Class: Onmyoji_


	54. Chapter 54: Lost in Thoughts

**AUTHOR'S NOTES:** _A short breather chapter before we head out to Izumo and have a clash that I've been anticipating for months. Otherwise, a bit more about how Rinkah integrated with the group, and Zenzi being a cinnamon roll because that's kind of what she does (especially considering where she's from). Also, a sneak peek or two at some more things to come in terms of character interactions, and surprisingly enough, Kamui's absent from this chapter. But, here we go anyways.  
Happy Reading!_

 **CHAPTER 54: Lost in Thoughts**

 _Sing with me a song of Dances and Thoughts…_

Like any of the times Corrin's army moved across Ferevs, he sent Anna and Kaze as well as a few scouts from Silas' division and the Wind Tribe contingent to help make sure that the area was clear and/or safe to travel, and similarly, to keep an eye out for any of the other royal siblings from Hoshido and Nohr, seven of which were still at large. Kamui worried particularly about Camilla, stating this concern to Corrin, but she did not push it much past that.

And thus, the waiting game resumed. Members of the army, both new and old, found this place to be a rather delightful oasis in a metaphorical desert of war and death.

While many people found many different uses for the grounds and buildings surrounded by New Kamui's formidable walls, Corrin and Kamui's castle grounds were also a beautifully serene place to wander around in the evenings. The realm it was situated in was secluded from the dangers of the world, and sometimes it felt like time just stopped in here. Rinkah didn't understand how any of that nonsense actually worked, and so she just left it to Corrin to keep things scheduled properly. In the meantime, she grew acquainted with the place rather swiftly, and made herself right at home. Her fiery temper had her clash a few times with people, usually ending with either Rinkah snapping an obscenity or two at them and leaving, or letting her strong language shoo them away.

While the Flame Tribe might have been better known for being diurnal creatures, Rinkah had developed a fondness of the evening on the basis that there were less people out and about to harangue and harass her (even if she dramatized her perception of it).

She pushed the mighty door of the castle open and stepped out into the cool evening breeze. It was easy not to recognize her without her trademark Oni Mask on, her short bob of white hair looking almost foreign without the red tufts of her favorite headgear.

As rough and boorish as she normally was, Rinkah's bare feet were practically silent against the stone pathways with each step she took. Apart from wanting to be perceived as strong and inexorable, Rinkah cared little for her appearance, and so even though she was wearing little more than a pair of shorts and some wraps around her chest and hands, she still looked intimidating because of her physique. Jakob had had a few choice words for her in that regard, and she had just told him to fuck off instead. Luckily for her, he was asleep as well.

Someone was awake though, and was tiptoeing around the grounds. Rinkah crept around a few corners before finding the culprit fairly easily—whoever it was didn't seem to be trying to remain completely silent.

"Zenzi?" Rinkah tilted her head as she watched the pink-haired swordmaster dance. Naturally, Zenzi squealed from surprise and nearly ran off.

"R-Rinkah!?" she stammered, "w-what are you doing out here?"

"I like taking walks when most people are asleep," Rinkah admitted, "part of the whole solitude thing. What are YOU doing out here all dressed up?"

"I-I was dancing…" Zenzi stuttered again, glancing around and fidgeting.

"I gotta say—that kind of thing has always intrigued me," Rinkah admitted, "and what you were doing was pretty damn impressive. I like it."

"You do?" Zenzi looked flattered, still fidgeting with one of her bangles.

"'Course I do," Rinkah smirked. "More importantly though, I'm curious. How the hell did you know one of our tribal dances?"

"Well…" Zenzi looked down at her feet, "I saw you one night performing. I usually only need to see a dance once to know how to replicate it."

"Really now? Well I'm impressed. And that doesn't happen often. You've seen how many times I've told people to fuck off where they came from."

"I'm glad you've never said that to me…" Zenzi wiped her brow, "although I'm sure I'm not doing your dance justice."

"Eh, is that an invitation for me to teach you?" Rinkah offered. It was rare enough that anyone asked about her unique culture, and while she often lashed out and became abrasive or hostile towards those who belittled it, in truth, it also hurt her feelings when people declined learning about who she was and what she lived for—even though she would never, ever admit that out loud to anyone.

"Would you?" Zenzi's reply almost caught Rinkah off guard, "I'd love to learn what it means. I feel like knowing the meaning of a dance helps me perform with a better conviction!"

"It's not that hard, but I can give you the full rundown," Rinkah assured her.

She did exactly that, showing Zenzi the proper forms and teaching her what it all meant. Rinkah had started out assuming that most of it would just go over Zenzi's head or that she'd not pay attention, but Rinkah continued her lecture anyways.

"If you think I need to shut the hell up already, just ball up a fist and clob' my gob," she shrugged, "most people don't seem too interested in hearing some kid ramble about her barbaric culture."

"People say that to you?" Zenzi looked horrified.

"Not really here as much as in other places," Rinkah shrugged ,"But I guess in a way I probably deserve it considering how abrasive I am to them. Maybe they don't like getting smacktalked by a 16-year-old. I dunno."

"I still have trouble believing you're that young." Zenzi asserted.

"The Flame Tribe wastes little time in teaching children how to live and act like adults," Rinkah explained, "I learned to fight when I was 10, and had my formal coming-of-age ceremony when I was 13. Some of those dance moves I taught you are used in that ritual. In most cases, but not all, age is just an arbitrary number used for people to place imaginary limits on themselves and their potential."

"What do you mean?" Zenzi looked at the shorter woman curiously.

"What I mean is that people let some arbitrary unit of measurement dictate what they think they can and can't do." Rinkah explained, "'Oh, you're not old enough to do this.' 'I think you're too young for that…'. Congratulations. I've lived long enough for this world to make 16 revolutions around the sun. What does that really mean in the grand scheme of things? It means pretty much jack. I'm not trying to be some enlightened sage with any of this nonsense either. It's just what our tribe teaches us to believe, and since I've seen no evidence that supports the contrary argument in the 16 years I've been alive, I see no reason to change my opinion in that regard."

"M-maybe I'm just easily impressed," Zenzi said softly, "but you seem so very wise, Rinkah."

"That's because we're in a tranquil situation and the dancing has put my mind at ease," Rinkah laughed, putting a thumb at her chest, "If we were in the heat of a battle, I'd be rushing in and throwing all regard for my own safety and well-being out the window. Me' mom used to say it was called 'having high Wisdom and low Intelligence', which seems rather fitting."

"You seem pretty intelligent to me." Zenzi pointed out. "Or is that just Charisma?"

"Charisma," Rinkah laughed, "Which also fluctuates greatly. When I'm by myself or around people I know and trust, I'm pretty eloquent. When I'm surrounded by obnoxious people buzzing around me or trying to kill me, I'm about as charismatic as a Faceless."

Rinkah paused and cracked a rare smile—one with emotion, rather than some sly or bloodthirsty smirk like her usual expressions that involved her lip curling up.

"You're a good kid, Zenzi." Rinkah slapped her hand down on the pink-haired dancer's right shoulder a little harder than Zenzi had expected, and she nearly buckled.

"Ouch!" she cried out, "and excuse me… but aren't I 4 years your senior?"

"Huh… guess you are. Still… thanks for hearing a fiery kid out. It means a lot to me, and I'm not exactly good at expressing that kind of affection without hitting things."

Zenzi nodded. She wasn't really the type to get angry very easily, and her calm, timid nature made her a very relaxing person to be around, much like Sakura. More importantly, the two of them just forged a new friendship that day, and they decided to celebrate it with another long series of dances.

Zenzi and Rinkah were not the only ones up at this hour. Normally Corrin was not one of the ones up this late (unlike his sister), but tonight he was. He gazed up at the moon from one of the upper balconies of the castle, losing himself in his thoughts as he stood alone on the platform.

He contemplated everything they were doing, and yet it still didn't feel like enough. Three of his siblings, and all four of Kamui's, were still out there, possessed by whatever or whoever this "Exalted One" was. Corrin knew that his sister worked hard to hide it, but he could tell that the absence of any of her Nohrian kin was starting to weigh down on her. He wanted to reach out to her, but wasn't sure how to approach it with her, especially since he knew there was little he could do here and now to help the situation. At best, he could make seemingly meaningless promises about how they would find Xander, Camilla, Leo, and Elise soon, but since he didn't know when or where they would cross paths, these words just felt like nothing more than empty promises. He felt like Kamui deserved better.

He also did not expect Silas of all people to show up on the balcony that evening.

"What are you doing up?" Corrin's question was much less accusatory and more simply curious. "I thought only Jakob and Zenzi were up at this hour."

"I couldn't sleep." Silas mumbled, "Too much on my mind."

"And so you came to find me?" Corrin turned and raised his eyebrow.

"Well… this is something you might know best about," Silas pointed out, "it's about Kamui."

"You couldn't sleep because of Kamui?" Corrin tilted his head, "has she been drinking?"

"More than usual," Silas pointed out, the tone in his voice indicating that he was well-aware that this was not too out of the ordinary. "Lately, anyways. And it's not even the happy kind."

"Does this have something to do with her family?" Corrin thought about what might have been upsetting Kamui recently. She and Rinkah got along swimmingly (a surprise, considering Rinkah didn't seem to get along too well with anyone short of Zenzi and Sakura, who everyone seemed to adore), and despite keeping to herself, he didn't imagine that it was the fault of anyone in the army as to why Kamui was upset. Family was the only conclusion he could come to.

"She won't say it to me directly, but I know her tells," Silas nodded, "She definitely misses her family—particularly Camilla if I could bet anything on it."

"It's hard though," Corrin sighed, "obviously I want to help her—and save Xander, Camilla, Leo, and Elise just as much as I want to save Sakura's siblings, but there's only so much we can do, especially all at one time. What would you suggest, Silas? What would you do in my position?"

"I'd talk to her," Silas suggested, "and that's really what I want to do, but I don't know how to bring it up. Even though we're friends, she's hard to approach. That's why I came to you, actually. I wanted to know if you had any advice on how to approach her."

"From what I've learned of Kamui in our brief time being back together," Corrin began, "the best way to approach her about anything is just to be genuine. Be yourself. Well, and don't disturb her until after Jakob's given her her morning coffee. Trust me on that one."

"Right then," Silas smiled. "So how about you? Is there anything else weighing on your mind?"

"Just the stuff I told you about," Corrin shrugged a shoulder, "People look to me for guidance, and so I want to be able to help be that guiding beacon they see me as."

"True as that might be, just remember that we're not seeking perfection," Silas put an arm on Corrin's shoulder. "Nearly everyone here thinks you're doing a spectacular job. They know we can't just miraculously win the war in an evening, and we know you're trying your best to keep us safe and well-led. We can't really ask for more than that."

Corrin sighed and then smiled. "Thank you, Silas." he nodded sincerely, "I guess I feel a bit insecure about it at times with all the pressure. It's nice to have some reassurance now and again that I'm not leading this group down the road to nowhere."

"Thank you as well," Silas smiled. "Sometimes, helping with the small and simple things can go a long way with earning approval—not like you really needed to earn my approval though. Still… thanks again for the advice earlier."

"Don't sweat it," Corrin shook his head, gazing out at the night sky again. "Sleep well, Silas. I should get back to bed too."

With a nod, the two men parted ways, both of them also feeling much happier and more confident about what the next day would hold in store for them...


	55. Chapter 55: Takumi versus Sakura

**AUTHOR'S NOTES:** _I've been looking forward to this chapter for months. We finally get to see Takumi after a long time, and Sakura gets to deal with him, as the title of the chapter indicates. A while back when she first joined the army, I put an extremely important detail about Sakura in her little 'profile' blurb, so that's something worth considering. Anyways, I won't ramble too much. Here's the chapter, and if you review it (or any chapter of this story), then you are awesome!  
Happy Reading!  
_

 **CHAPTER 55: Takumi versus Sakura**

 _Sing with me a song of Siblings and Strife…_

The next morning Corrin was met with a mixture of good news and bad news. The good news, he learned, was that Anna, as well as Kaze and Azura, had managed to get into Izumo. The bad news was something else entirely, and Corrin wasn't even sure how to respond to it.

"So the whole town is encased in ice?" he tilted his head.

"I might stretch the truth a little if it means more gold in my pockets, but I wouldn't lie about this," Anna replied, "besides, Kaze and Azura have the same account. We suspect a trap."

"More so," Azura warned, "we felt a malevolent presence—much like the one that came from the Hoshidan Plains the day your siblings were possessed. I think one or more of them are near the area, which means we have little time to spare."

"Then let's waste no time!" Corrin declared, "muster everyone and let's move out!"

Seeing Izumo City encased in ice was one of those things that a person truly had to behold with their own eyes in order to accept it as reality.

"What in tarnation!?" Mozu rubbed her eyes and blinked just to make sure she was actually seeing what she thought she was seeing. Most of the others had similar reactions. Felicia seemed the least surprised about it, but a brief inquiry from Kaze answered that question.

"Ice Tribe," Felicia had explained, "we can freeze things in ice kinda like this, but to freeze an entire city… Th-that would take a lot more than just one person to do."

"Mmm…" Kaze mused, "perhaps if we find the epicenter of this ice—the area frozen the most, we can possibly detect the source of the spell or implement that froze the place. I suppose there's little else to do in the meantime but try to chip away at it."

"Stay on your guard," Corrin warned, "I suspect a trap."

"Me too," Kamui drained her bottle of booze before throwing it with such force against the ice that it shattered. This was unusual mainly due to how much of the ice shattered, and suddenly Kamui felt a searing, slashing pain across the side of her face.

"Invisible soldiers!" she shouted, "draw arms and prepare for battle!"

"Strike the ice if you can as well," Corrin directed, "and watch for any signs of movement. These warriors are not always fully invincible!" Roku and Zenzi had always seemed eerily familiar with this type of enemy, and had told their liege all of the tells on how to spot them, which he had then shared with the army. This knowledge helped keep the army safe.

A slow and cautious approach helped keep Corrin's little army safe from the bulk of the ambush, but these invisible enemies continued smashing out of the ice in larger and larger numbers as they approached the center of town. While they were so fixated on moving forward, however, they almost didn't notice an attack from behind. Sakura shrieked, jumping aside as a fierce, spear-like gust of wind nearly struck her in the calf. She spun around, and there, standing on one of the rooftops, was the source of the attack. Fujin Yumi in hand and red eyes a-blazing, stood Takumi. He pulled the magical bowstring back again and took aim.

"I-I can handle him!" Sakura warned, "everyone else, stay clear!"

"Sakura, are you sure!?" Corrin jumped out of the way of Takumi's 2nd shot.

"I'm p-positive!" Sakura shouted with such confidence that even Corrin was taken aback. "I just need Azura to stay close by! I need to save my brother!"

"But you could get yourself killed!" Corrin reasoned.

"And if I don't, he and many others will die!" Sakura exclaimed as she launched a powerful sphere of flame towards her assailant to keep him occupied. "RUN, CORRIN. RUN!"

Sakura immediately followed up by creating and illusory replica of herself. Takumi immediately did the same, and Sakura took a deep breath. She had just assured that Takumi would be locked in combat against her, and had just shouldered the responsibility of taking him down while the others dealt with the invisible legion.

Sakura started the show by wreathing herself in magical flames and launching a terrifyingly powerful offensive to keep Takumi at bay. It dissolved his illusion, but in his possessed state he appeared much less concerned with his own personal safety as he might otherwise normally be. He created another illusion and was suddenly on one of the nearby rooftops, where he aimed a frighteningly accurate shot at Sakura's replica. Sakura staggered as she felt herself sapped of the energy that she had put into the illusion, but knew that she had to bring it back. She conjured a small barrier to prevent Takumi's next wind arrow from taking out her left eye, but then sprung up, launching the wreaths of flames from around her body towards Takumi and his double.

This seemed to have the desired effect. Takumi took off running, but to his surprised even in his possessed state, there was Sakura, tailing him as they ran across the rooftops.

It seemed that Kamui's fierce training regimens had done good for the little priestess. While Takumi sprinted across the roofs as if it was solid ground, Sakura boosted her own speed with a few magical cantrips, and kept the offensive on her side by assaulting Takumi and his location with fireballs. Fortunately for the architecture of Izumo, Sakura's fireballs were designed to explode and then dissipate, since she did not want to incinerate the city, and especially did not want to incinerate Takumi.

The downside was that while Sakura was only aiming to disable Takumi so that they could free him from the possession, Takumi was out to kill. Once he had put himself a significant distance ahead of his sister he and his illusion turned and began shooting at her, forcing Sakura to slow her run and evade the barrage. She staggered behind again as her illusion was struck, and this time didn't try to bring it back. It was a dangerous maneuver, but it took too much energy out of her to be able to keep doing with how swift Takumi's arrows were. Instead, she gritted her teeth and fired magical projectiles to deflect the magical arrows Takumi launched at her. She continued pursuing him on the rooftops, jumping and dodging her brother's projectiles. There had been times in the past when she had contemplated wearing something with a longer skirt, but the open front and short length helped give her legs the mobility she needed to keep up with Takumi, whose divine weapon helped him traverse even the most hostile terrain as if it was little more than grass beneath his feet. On these icy, sloped rooftops, Sakura felt that it would be quite the boon, because it was.

She silenced a scream as she felt an arrow rip past her right hip, tearing through skirt and skin alike. She lost her footing for a moment and nearly twisted her ankle, but launched herself back up with a burst of flame, before bombarding Takumi's replica with the same magic. The pain in her side was searing from the freshness, but now Sakura's entire demeanor changed. She was hurt, and she channeled that focus into her magic. She took another breath and began focusing a much more powerful spell, this one even more potent than the first one. She shifted her feet as she locked herself into a solid stance, and once again wreathed herself in flames. She channeled powerful streams of flame from her hands. Takumi's replica had dissipated, but another one took its place almost immediately. It seemed Takumi had more stamina and energy to produce his illusion than Sakura. Then again, Takumi also didn't need to stay so focused. Sakura was not only trying to keep herself safe, but also trying to control her attacks to make sure that the ones that struck would not be fatal. Killing Takumi would just enable their enemy to gain another victory. The dead would likely just become puppets of the Exalted one or something like that. More than any of that though, Sakura wanted to keep her brother alive.

She launched attacks in front of Takumi, cutting off his escape. She realized that he was trying to lead her away, either into a trap of his own, or simply because he (or whoever was controlling him) knew that Sakura was trying to take back Takumi's mind.

Takumi's replica also stopped before running into the wall of flames, and suddenly he was back on the offensive, forcing Sakura into a little dance as they fired their arrows in an off-handed sync that made it seem like they were coming at her twice as fast as normal.

Sakura's next move, however, was a bold, do-or-die kind of attempt. She mustered what little remaining energy she had and exerted herself to create another illusion. Using this, she freed herself from Takumi's barrage, and began closing in on him. She called upon the full might of Cymbeline's power, blasting Takumi with such force that his replica fizzles away and he stagged backwards, fully stunned.

"nO!" he roared, "yOu WiLl NoT tAkE mE bAcK fRoM tHe ExAlTeD oNe, cHiLd oF iKoNa… yOu… WiLl… BlEeD!"

Sakura was not sure how it happened, but somehow, despite being stunned, Takumi had shot her again, this time squarely in the left shoulder. Sakura felt a nasty tingling in her arm as she staggered back, losing her focus. She fell to her knees, watching as her illusion faltered from being struck, and dissolved again after Takumi regained his strength and shot it again. She gasped for breath as the disappearance of this illusion sapped her of more of her energy, and leaned on her knees and right hand as she looked up at her brother and soon-to-be murderer.

"Please…" she whispered, the flames around her dissipating. The crackle of her flame wall a few meters away was the primary ambience still in the area, but now Sakura heard footsteps of Takumi approaching.

"Please…" she repeated as tears flowed down the sides of her face. She gritted her teeth and prepared for the end. "At least... do it swiftly…"

Takumi tapped under Sakura's chin with the end of his bow, prodding her to look him in the eyes one last time. Sakura's face showed naught but despair as she gazed into the crazed, red eyes of her possessed brother.

"ThAt… iS a WiSh i WiLl gRaNt, SiStEr…" he smirked, pulling the string back. "FaLl… aNd DeSpAiR iN yOuR iSoLaTiOn!"

Right as he pulled back the glowing string of his weapon to end Sakura's life, however, an entrancing melody flowed through his ears and stunned him just as Sakura's magic had.

" _Sing with me a song… of siblings and strife…"_

Takumi roared in agony the same way Kamui had when Azura had sung her song.

" _Though you fight, you still prize your sister's life…"_

Takumi struggled against the gripping power of Azura's spell, but like Kamui, the possessive essence soon dissipated, and Takumi came to his senses, falling to his own hands and knees as Sakura collapsed, face-down. She was alive and still clinging to consciousness, albeit barely.

"I'm sorry I did not arrive sooner…" Azura apologized as she knelt next to Sakura to scoop her off the ground and into her lap. Her voice was winded, implying that she had just run quite a long way to catch up to the speedy siblings. "I… am not as swift as I thought I would be…"

Takumi recovered the swiftest, and seized Sakura from Azura as soon as he was able—not from anger, but out of seeing her in her injured state and wanting to make sure she was alright.

"That possession…" he was trembling as he held Sakura's limp form close to his chest, "Gods! I did this to her!I swear whoever did this to me and made me do this is gonna PAY!" he screamed at the heavens before looking down at Sakura again.

"How bad is it?" he whispered.

"It hurts…" Sakura whispered, "but… I think I was more just shaken at realizing how close to death I was… I'm going to be okay, Takumi… and so… so are you." She closed her eyes and sighed, at this point wanting (and needing) little more than rest.

"Let's make ourselves scarce then," Azura suggested, "We can talk about it later, but we're still in a battlefield. Takumi… Corrin is here, and Sakura and I were with her. It's… it's a long story, and so I'll need some time to explain. Do you trust me?"

"You saved my life… and saved me from doing the worst possible thing I could do with my Fujin Yumi…" he glanced down at Sakura again, the memories of himself pointing an arrow right at his sister's head still vivid, even if his mind was not his own. "I trust you—at least for now. Now let's scram from here!"

Azura and Takumi hobbled into an empty house and took cover for the moment. They were all too worn out to rejoin the battle that Corrin and Kamui's soldiers were locked in (Azura's song had taken a lot out of her), and so at this point all they could do was wait for it to end…

* * *

 ** _AFTERTHOUGHTS:_** _A few notes on Takumi and Sakura's little illusion game they played. In this story, the "replicate" skill works a bit different. Here it basically creates an illusion at the cost of some of the wielder's energy. If the user dissipates the illusion, they get that energy back. If the illusion is 'killed', they lose it. Of the Hoshidan royal family, only Takumi and Sakura know this ability, but we'll get into its origins and how it was learned (and why Ryoma and Hinoka don't know it, for example) at a later point in time. Thanks for reading!_


	56. Chapter 56: The Liberation of Izumo

**AUTHOR'S NOTES:** _I'm back, baby! I apologize for the lengthy hiatus. A lot has happened over the last month, and my job has kept my busy. I may or may not have also been super-distracted by Elder Scrolls Online having a month-long series of events that kept me hooked. Then my nephew was born on the 16th, and so family came, and... well yeah. TL;DR: life hit me pretty squarely in the face for a while. Either way, hopefully this marks the beginning of me being able to get back on track with my regular weekly posting schedule. My work schedule changed again and so updates are likely going to be back on Sunday or Monday again, so there's that I guess. Anyhoo, here's chapter 56. We get to see Zola's good and bad side, a bit of inter-Takumi conflict, and a new face ready to join the crowds. Sorry again for the long wait. Hopefully this chapter helps make up for that.  
Happy Reading!_ **  
**

 **CHAPTER 56: The Liberation of Izumo  
**

 _Sing with me a song of Exalts and Worms…_

Takumi, Azura, and Sakura watched what they could of the battle from their shelter without giving their position away. Takumi was still weakened from the whole 'being possessed' thing; the song Azura had sung to free him from that spell had drained her energy almost completely, and Sakura was still battered and worn from the fight against Takumi where she had literally almost died. Still, fortunately for them it seemed that the battle was moving in their favor, with Corrin guiding the troops as best he could.

Some of the more reckless individuals like Rinkah and Kamui had taken up the front lines, swinging axes with vicious impunity, shattering the ice and eviscerating foes. Hana had joined them, and seemed to have made it into a slaughter contest against Kamui to see who could take out more of the invisible enemies.

"Kamui!" she was barely breaking a sweat as she clove an enemy clean in two with a diagonal slash from her katana, "I've got 9 already!"

"I'm on 17!" Kamui called back, taking an axe and putting it through the skull of an invisible mage.

"What!?" Hana gawked, "I'm not gonna let some Nohrian outdo me!"

Corrin kept his focus on helping guide his army to keep them safe, although every now and again he glanced back at the fierce battle of wind and fire that was Takumi and Sakura's conflict. He was somewhat amazed to see that Sakura was holding her own so proficiently, but perhaps had not given Kamui enough credit—or given Sakura enough credit for her insane magical prowess.

Fortunately for Corrin's army, they ultimately made rather quick work of the soldiers that had invaded Izumo, although they were still just as close to figuring out the source of them and the ice as they were when they first arrived. They continued their fight all the way to the heart of the city, where they finally confronted the entity that clearly stood as their nemesis: Kagero.

Unfortunately for this Kagero, Kamui saw right through the disguise right away.

"Zola you magnificently awful bastard, I know it's you and so does everyone here!"

"Bah!" 'Kagero' scoffed, "you're no fun at all, princess! Certainly not nearly as fun as darling Camilla who follows every word we say!"

"Who's 'we', exactly," Kamui wasted no time pointing the Dusk Yato at Zola's throat before he could so much as recite a spell, "start talking you worm!"

"But where's the fun in that!?" Zola vanished and reappeared a few feet away. "Catch me if you can! Maybe I'll even say what happened to the beautifully curvaceous woman I'm impersonating! Hehehe!" From here, he made an obvious attempt to flee.

"Hana," Kamui cast the brown-haired samurai a hollow smirk, "you up for another challenge?"

Kazahana did end up reaching Zola first, but Corrin's entire army had wasted no time rushing him, which quickly eliminated all of his potential escape routes. From there, it took no time for Kamui and Hana to corner him, where the latter of the two pinned him and held her blades to his throat to keep him from making any further movements. By this time his disguise had either worn off or been negated, for in the place of Kagero and her uncharacteristic cackles was a scrawny little man with guilt written all over his face. Hana backed down only after Kamui turned into a dragon and pinned him instead, glaring down at him with the steely silver and blue face of the Dusk Dragon.

"Okay, okay!" Zola pleaded, "spare me and I'll tell you anything you want to know! Anything!"

"What did you do to Kagero!?" Hana demanded, barking the question almost in sync with Corrin,

"She is… in Mokushu…" Zola began, "a captive of a man named… Kotaro…"

"Tell me more about Camilla," Kamui demanded. "She's clearly no servant of you… who is she serving for real then?"

"Now, now…" Zola explained, "The Exalted One doesn't want me spreading ALL of their secrets—" He was cut off before he could continue.

"Do you value your life," Kamui leaned down so the dragon's face was mere inches from Zola's, "because I know you do—and you'd betray this 'Exalted One' at the drop of a hat if it meant your own safety, wouldn't you?"

"Killing me would do nothing to stop the Exalted One anyways!" Zola pleaded, "But I do want to stay in their good graces."

"Then start talking." Kamui demanded, "you haven't even revealed whether this 'Exalted One' is a man or a woman—"

This time it was Kamui who was cut off. A bolt of magic that she recognized as Leo's stunned her, hitting her with such finesse that it forced her back into her humanoid form and sent her sprawling. A second attack followed immediately and struck Zola much more critically. The way his scream began and quickly dissipated was a clear sign that this strike had been fatal.

"No sharing those secrets," Leo glared at the ground as Kamui regained her footing. "And let this be a warning to the rest of you: don't stick your noses in business where it doesn't belong."

"Azura!" Kamui called out, hoping to entrap Leo the same way that they had (hopefully) entrapped Takumi. However, she was still worn out from her last song, and still sheltered with Sakura and Takumi a good distance away, trying to recover. Even if she had heard her name called, there was little she would have been able to do.

"I am not foolish enough to try and face you all on my own." Leo pointed out, closing his tome as his red eyes flashed over Corrin's army. He was clearly analyzing the size of the threat. "But you have been cordially warned. Now begone!"

This last order seemed hollow, for it was Leo who vanished instead as Kamui tried to take everything in. Jakob and Felicia verified that there was no saving Zola, and everyone else was basically silent. Oboro's left eye twitched, Mozu clung to her spear rather tightly, her little knees trembling just slightly; and Hana had stepped back to give the twins some room. Kamui sighed as she glanced at Zola's lifeless corpse.

"Perhaps he was a sleazy little worm who deserved to die…" she sighed, "but I feel like we missed an opportunity to learn a lot more about the enemy we're facing. Who is this 'Exalted One' that can control the most powerful people in both Hoshido AND Nohr?"

"I wish I knew," Silas put his arm around Kamui's shoulder, "but I've got your back. We all do. You and your brother have proven to be fantastic leaders so far, and I hope you know it."

"Thank you, Silas," Kamui gave a weak smile.

"Aye," Corrin added, "I appreciate the sentiment, Silas. How are the troops?"

"There are a few minor injuries," Silas observed aloud, "but it doesn't look like anything a few waves of a staff can't patch up. How about Lord Takumi? I assume since he's not here trying to pepper us with arrows that Azura was successful?"

"Azura?" Corrin called out this time, and now that everything had fallen silent, Corrin's call reached Azura's ears.

"Looks like they've sorted all this shit out," Takumi muttered, "sister; Azura… can you two walk?"

"I'm a little slow, but my feet can hold me," Azura whispered. By contrast, Sakura whimpered and shook her head. Takumi groaned.

" _It's MY fault…"_ he fought with himself, _"If it wasn't for MY weakness, Sakura wouldn't be incapacitated. I couldn't protect her and I couldn't protect myself. I swear, I'll find whoever did this to me, and I will take only the greatest of pleasures in watching them suffer!"_

"Don't worry sister…" Takumi spoke again after a moment of very obvious internal hesitation, "I've got you. Azura, I highly doubt we're about to start sprinting, so slow's fine for now."

He hoisted Sakura's arms over his shoulders, pulling her legs around his waist and them holding her there to support her weight. He was a bit wobbly with each step he took, and Azura was no faster, but the three staggered out of their ruined shelter and into plain sight. Corrin was already racing to meet him, with Hana, Subaki, and Oboro on his tail. The others began migrating their way over to assess the situation, but didn't want to overcrowd the clearly exhausted trio.

"Takumi!" Corrin exclaimed, "are you… you're not possessed anymore, are you?"

"If I was, I'd have shot you," Takumi riposted, "No… I'm fine. Shaken, and angry at myself for falling for that trap… but fine. Sakura needs the most attention. Azura and I are mostly just winded, I think."

Takumi was stretching the truth about himself; Sakura had done some considerable damage in return; but most of her magical attacks had been designed to weaken him or sap his energy; unlike his attacks, which, in his possessed rage, were aimed to kill.

"I'm glad you're okay…" Corrin started, but then corrected himself, "well, that you're alive. I'm sure all of us have felt better. Come on; let's get out of here and get cleaned up."

"No need to tell me twice," Takumi muttered.

As they prepared to leave the city though, they were met with a rather unusual surprise. A brown-haired samurai flecked with a little blood jumped out in front of them, his messy hair and disheveled grin betraying his intentions.

"Hinata?!" Oboro recognized him immediately, "How in blazes…!?"

"Oboro!" Hinata smirked and deliberately threw himself around her just to have her push him away for messing up her clothes, "hey, is Lord Taku—Heya! Lord Takumi!"

"Hinata?" Takumi recognized that lively voice anywhere. "What happened to you?"

"Well…" he scratched the back of his head, "the few goonies that that Zola guy left to keep me and Archduke Izana quiet weren't really a match for us after Izana remembered his magic. He freed me and we kind of wiped the floor with them. He's still kind of throwing a fit about the mess, but he's alive, and I'm alive, and…" he paused, his eyes scanning the crowds, "it looks like all of you are alive… unless you aren't?" He didn't know how large Corrin's army was.

"Is that really what happened?" Kamui raised her eyebrows, "because that's an awesome story if it is. And I don't say that often."

"I dunno how to embellish stuff as good as you do, Lady Kamui," Hinata laughed, "but yeah, that's basically what happened."

"What do you mean 'embellish stuff as good as me'?" Kamui narrowed her eyes playfully (albeit slightly suspiciously), "are you calling me a liar?"

"No way!" Hinata beamed, "but I read your book. _Dancers and Diviners_ , I think it was? I skipped the mushy parts, but you tell some pretty cool action stories too, y'know. Id I knew how to tell stories that good I woulda!"

"Man, _Dancers and Diviners_ really isn't even that good!" Kamui complained, "But does that mean we can take a rest or two in Castle Izumo again?"

"I'm sure Izana wouldn't mind!" Hinata reasoned, "Especially not after you all apparently saved his city from being frozen or whatever happened to it!"

"I reckon it might not be my place to say it," Mozu piped up, "but that sounds really nice right about now. Think we can take a breather or two there before movin' on, Lord Corrin?"

"Absolutely," Corrin nodded, "I couldn't have said it better myself. Come; let's get moving. There's a lot we need to discuss…"

"I'll say," a bloodied but clearly elated Rinka raised her fist, "I need a word with Izana about some sages too. We're right behind ya, Corrin."

Literally no one else needed to be told twice. Despite their decisive victory, there were many things on Corrin's mind, both about Hinata and Izana, but also about Kagero, the Exalted One, and the notion that if they were to meet more than one of their siblings at a time, he wondered if Azura's song would be powerful enough to free them both, or if it would be one of those dilemmas where she would be forced to choose who to free first.

Kamui's mind was no less idle. Zola's words about Camilla had hit her hard, and she wondered who apart from Xander or Garon would be able to enslave Camilla that way. She was fairly sure that all of them were being controlled in that manner, but that annoyed her more rather than gave her any sign of relief. She knew that Xander was not the mastermind behind this, considering that he was one of the red-eyed victims of it; but Garon? Was he this 'Exalted One' Zola kept speaking of? She remembered hearing about the Exalted One when she too was controlled, but the voice had sounded very soft; a low feminine voice at times, and a soothing masculine voice other times. It did not sound like the stern, commanding tone Garon used. Either way, they had earned this victory, and it was time to enjoy it. Maybe a little unwinding would help further sort things out.

* * *

 **CHARACTERS RECRUITED:**

 **Hinata:** _A Hoshidan samurai from a long line serving the royal family. Like his liege, Takumi, he's a bit coarse and quick to get into a fight, but he's honest and optimistic. This carries over into his very competitive side, and while he hates losing, he usually accepts defeat with a semblance of grace. His outgoing personality makes him easy to approach and get along with, even if he usually "greets" people with a challenge. The fondest of wide open fields. Born on 10 May (Age 18)_  
 _Class: Swordmaster_

 **Takumi** : _A Hoshidan prince who wields the legendary Fujin Yumi. An emotional young man who seeks attention, a drive created by a crushing inferiority complex coupled with emotional instability. This also results in him having discomforting nightmares that make him prone to violent mood swings. While a bit tempestuous, he's very kind to people he trusts, and has no trouble proving his sincerity. The most notorious 'wild card' of the army. Born on 14 December (Age 18)  
Class: Sniper_


	57. Chapter 57: Archduke and the Old Gods

**AUTHOR'S NOTES:** _Slightly late chapter again, but whatever the case here it is. There's a lot of foundation-laying in this chapter, as setups for what's to come. Rinkah's whole bit with those sages of hers will make sense eventually, and thus we get this intermediate chapter before we move onto the next stage of the game next chapter. Either way, it is what it is, and so feel free to drop reviews or other feedback for better or for worse. Also, happy slightly-late birthday, Ryoma. He'll be important down the line, hence the special mention.  
Happy Reading!_

 **CHAPTER 57: Archduke and the Old Gods**

 _Sing with me a song of Mysteries and Gods…_

The first order of business for Corrin and his army was to get their wounds tended to, and Izana was there among them helping patch them up. Takumi, Sakura, and Azura were given extra attention, and politely declined Izana's dinner invitation, deciding that they needed rest more than food at the moment. Most of the others, including a still rather injured Rinkah, were quite fine with joining him at his usual banquet. It was about halfway through the meal that Corrin finally spoke.

"Archduke Izana?" he wanted to politely get the rather flambouyant man's attention.

"Anything I can help you with, Lord Corrin?" he addressed, "You do seem a lot more occupied than usual. Mind you; I would be too. When Zola kidnapped me my hair was in such a frump I thought I would never be able to fix it again! And don't even get me started on the state of my castle. Good gracious, it's a good thing I have efficient servants. Anyways… what's on your mind? I could ramble on for hours about my problems, but that's not why we're here now is it?"

"There are a few things, actually," Corrin asked, "first of all; the primary reason for us coming here this time is to inquire about the Seal of Flames. Chieftain Fuga said you would know a thing or two about it."

"Ah…" Izumo put his fingers together, "I might know a thing or two about that old whatsit and what have you. It's gonna cost you. Or rather, it's gonna cost me!"

"If I can help or offer any form of assistance in any way, shape, or form, all you need to do is ask of it from me," Corrin offered, "I wouldn't just expect people to drop everything and rally around me just because I'm a leader."

"Ahhh, and I see doubts even of that prowess, despite some rather obvious tells," Izana smiled, "but I suppose we can address those at a later time. I get distracted far too easily when someone's mind is all over the place, especially my own! Ha! Seal of Flames though… I'd have to perform a ritual to be able to extract all of the information I have on the matter, and so I'll have to get back to you on that later tonight. In the meantime, I need to discuss a few things with Princess Rinkah and Princess Sakura."

"What sort of things?" Corrin asked, "I don't want to sound impatient or anything, but is there a reason they have to come first?"

"Well... " Izana scratched his ear, "talking to the Old Gods might be a costly endeavour, and I might not return the same man I once was. Their requests were smaller things I assume. If they turn out to be costlier than a trip to the pinnacle of the temple, I'll rearrange my schedule accordingly. I can tell you this right now though: Seek the Dragon. I'll have to find out what dragon it means later tonight."

"I don't wanna be rude or nothin'," a small country voice piped up from Corrin's right, "but Mr. Archduke sir… you sound like you're talking in riddles!"

Corrin and Izana turned to see Mozu listening rather attentively to their conversation, her hands in her lap and a curious expression plastered on her visage. The latter of these two paused for a moment before Izana motioned at the little farmer.

"Come here a moment, child… let me look into your eyes if you would?"

Mozu clearly hesitated, and it was fairly easy to see why.

"Now, now, now…" Izana continued, "I don't bite except on a New Moon… and that's not for another 3 days, and usually involves a lot more alcohol. I just want to see something."

"Golly;" Mozu didn't exactly want to tell him no, but she did not look overly thrilled. Still, she mustered her courage and looked Izana in the eyes, watching the brilliant man's eyes dart around her visage.

"Darling, I want to apologize for my harshness earlier, even if I might not have even done anything like that," Izana frowned, "Lord Corrin; if you don't mind?" He stood up and motioned that he was going to take Mozu and leave the room.

"No; by all means…" Corrin wasn't' even sure what Izana was up to, but knew that under his wild eccentricity and informal speech, the man seemed to know what he was doing, and thus there was a clear method to his madness.

Izana led Mozu down a hall into a small room similar to the one Camilla and Mikoto had used only a few weeks prior to all of this craziness.

"Mr. Archduke, sir…" Mozu swung her legs as she sat down, her toes just barely not reaching the floor, "Did I do somethin' wrong?"

"No, it's just…" Izana began, before frowning again. "I saw your past; I see your pain. I see a girl with a will of unbreakable strength sitting in front of me, and quite frankly, it's mind-blowing, the type of potential you hold, sweetie. Now… don't take this the wrong way or anything, because trauma's a serious deal and a few happy words from a crazy little man aren't going to magically make things better any more than the fanciest spell would. But… I want you to know that while I didn't see everything by a far stretch of even Kamui's storytelling imagination… I saw some of your future. Things are gonna get better for you; I promise."

"Better how?" Mozu tilted her head, "I mean yeah… thinkin' about my family… it kinda still hurts and all… but it ain't like I'm gonna spend the rest of my life cryin' about it. Ma wouldn't be too fond of that at all."

"Better insomuch that there are always gonna be people at your side and there to help you…" Izana continued, "and even, dare I say it… someone that will fall for you." he winked.

"Golly; in this army!?" Mozu seemed shocked at the notion, "You're shuckin' me, aren't you?"

"I'd make up stories like that if you were someone like Princess Kamui," Izana admitted, pulling a book off the shelf, "but not for you, dear. Sadly, whoever showed me into the future decided to be a meanie and not tell me who the lucky man was. I guess the whole point of all this jibber-jabber from me is to keep your chin up and your morale high. You're really well-liked by everyone you associate with; you know that?"

"I am?" Mozu looked less surprised at this, but still surprised. "I thought I was more just a burden, since I ain't a very good fighter yet or nothin'..."

"I can think of exactly zero reasons why anyone wouldn't like you!" Izana beamed, "I guess what I'm saying is that by golly, you're important, and you've got an important part to play in all of this even if you might not realize it. So keep on keeping on! And keep that smile on, or I'll come and haunt you from the grave!"

Mozu and Izana returned to the table, the former of the two in particularly high spirits.

"Anyways, I apologize for that little diversion, Prince Corrin" Izana sat back down in front of Corrin, "now, I just need a word with Princess Sakura and then a word with Princess Rinkah, and then I'll be on my merry little way. Hopefully my chitchat with the Old Gods will be just as merry. Who knows? Fingers crossed!"

While Izana conversed with Sakura, Corrin glanced over towards Kamui, who was drinking heavily and muttering things to Silas. Silas caught Corrin's eye and gave him a look, which in turn caused Corrin to get up and address his sister.

"Sister?" he looked down at her as she drained her 5th bottle of Izana's wine, "I know I can't handle booze the way you do, but… is this normal?"

"It's fine, it's fine…" Kamui belched. "This stuff's actually pretty good—much better than that watery piss from South Hoshido, really."

"Kamui…" Corrin seized the bottle from his sister, "This isn't normal, even for you. Tell me what's wrong, and I'll do what I can to help."

Kamui paused, muttering a few obscenities under her breath. Silas gave her a pat on the back and tried to assure her as well.

"Kamui…" He was one of the few non-royals that addressed Kamui more as an equal, probably due to their history together as close friends, "I think he's trying to help."

"But what can we do?" she muttered, "All Zola dropped us was a few hints as to what's happening to her; nothing about her actual location…"

"This…" Corrin paused, "this is about Camilla, isn't it?"

"This is very much about Camilla," Kamui growled, "I don't know who this 'Exalted One' is, but I want to tear them limb from limb!"

"That's part of why we're here," Corrin assured her, "and as soon as Izana is finished with his discussions with Sakura and then Rinkah, he is going to seek the solution. Apparently it might be costly and dangerous."

"Corrin," Kamui gazed up at her brother with slightly bloodshot eyes.

"What is it, sister?" Corrin knelt next to her.

"I want you to promise me," Kamui began, "the first lead we get—the first trace of anything that might potentially lead us to Camilla… I want you to take it; nay, to seize 's like you with Kagero… except probably more something I need in my life."

"My concern for Kagero came from something else entirely," Corrin stammered slightly, "but primarily the fact that she was kidnapped and in danger. I can understand your desire to bring Camilla back to use, but it will be dangerous. I can't risk people's lives like that just haphazardly."

"Don't!" Kamui yanked Corrin forward by her shirt, her fiery red eyes piercing Corrin's identical ones, "...patronize me, brother. I'm piss-drunk and pissed off. I'm not asking you to go waltzing into Nohr and knock on Krakenburg's door to ask them if they can let Camilla out. I'm saying that at the first available opportunity, you go for it. By 'available opportunity', I mean 'the first available chance we get that doesn't involve sacrificing everyone to get there. I'm not all heartless."

"I…" Corrin gave an exasperated sigh as he eased Kamui's hand off of his collar, "was going to say essentially that same thing had you let me finish. Sister… you have my oath on that. As soon as we are able, we will get Camilla back for you. We'll get Ryoma; Hinoka… even your other siblings. Xander, Leo, Elise… we're going to free them all from the grip of the Exalted One and from whoever else is pulling strings behind the scenes. You have my word. Now stop drinking and get some rest. You're a very moody drunk when you drink and aren't happy."

While the two siblings were sorting out their troubles, Sakura soon returned and Rinkah promptly disappeared to go speak with Izana. Despite her brash, vulgar attitude towards most of Corrin's army, she was rather formal with the Archduke.

"Ah, Rinkah…" Izana gave a calm sigh as he leaned back in his seat and took a relaxed position, "You did seem rather eager to talk to me. I take it you've got something juicy for me?"

"Were I better at puns I would make one in response to that," Rinkah pointed out, "but I couldn't help but overhear you talking about the Old Gods with Corrin. That's a steep price to pay, and one that shouldn't cost your life."

"I always forget how much your tribe knows of the Old Gods," Izana laughed, "I take it you've got an offer? Should I tremble and clutch my coin purse?"

"Ha, as if I'd try to extort money from you, let alone for the privilege of what I'm gonna do," Rinkah laughed, "I've talked to Chieftain Fuga from the Wind Tribe about it too. We've got leads on the alcohol sages, which could in turn negate the curse of the Old Gods."

"You would go through all of that for little ol' me?" Izana beamed, "well, I do suppose that it's be quite the tragedy to bring an end to such amazing hair… but still…"

"You're the one about to sacrifice your soul to help give us some fancy revelation or some shit," Rinkah retorted, "It's the least I could do to repay the favour."

"Then I guess it's settled," Izana rose to her feet. "That's all I really needed to know, Rinkah. Always a pleasure, by the way. Do give Zulera and the others my regards."

"With pleasure," Rinkah smirked as she rose to her feet and shook Izana's hand. Both she and Izana returned to the banquet hall with confident grins on their faces, although neither of them were quite ready to reveal why...

* * *

 _ **AFTERTHOUGHTS:** While this does not explicitly confirm that Izana will survive, it does pretty much assure us that he's not going to have some cheap game-reasons death for no reason. He's not about to get off scot-free either mind you, but this is also by no means the last we'll see of him. Just something to think about._


	58. Chapter 58: The Noble Sacrifice

**AUTHOR'S NOTES** _: Late again, for which I apologize. Anyhoo, here is the close of Act III, and Act IIII will commence afterwards. Anyhoot, Izana's not going to die just to give the story a token death (we'll deal with Scarlet later...). I cannot guarantee his survival this early on without spoiling things, but we will see him again. Also, we get to see more of Oboro. There's a reason she's listed as one of the main characters after all. Anyhoo, I've rambled enough. Enjoy the late chapter, and perhaps even review it because people who review are awesome.  
Happy Reading!_

 **CHAPTER 58: The Noble Sacrifice**

 _Sing with me a sing of Grievance and Gods…_

It was only after everyone had finished eating up and resting from their wounds that Izana made his announcement. More accurately, he informed Corrin, who then informed the others as to what their next course of action was.

"So these… 'Old Gods'..." Silas began, his curious expression matching his tone, "Archduke Izana is going to risk his life just to speak with them? Surely there is another way."

"I've wondered the same thing," Corrin admitted, "I mean obviously I'm the kind of person that wants to keep everyone alive and find the ideal solution… but he seemed pretty insistent that he go through with this. Rinkah… do you have anything to add?" He glanced at the half-dressed Flame Tribe girl suspiciously; not from distrust; but more wondering what she needed to speak to Izana about. She had done the same thing first with Fuga, and it made him curious.

"Archduke Izana's putting a lot on the line for us here," Rinkah began, "and while we won't be able to save him immediately, an opportunity will open up to do so very soon. I don't want to say too much more, but I promise that he, Fuga, and I are not conspiring against you. It's just… a very delicate situation."

"Trust her on this one," a slightly drunken Kamui piped up, I might be a compulsive liar when I'm sober, but Rinkah lacks that kind of subtlety. I trust her."

"If she's anything like any other tribalist, then I absolutely trust her as well," Hayato voiced his opinion.

"If you trust her…" Corrin nodded, "then I will trust her too. Does anyone have any objections?"

"If she were allied with Nohr I might be skeptical," Takumi admitted, "but if you trust her, I'll trust her too."

"Kamui trusts her, and so do I." Silas added.

"We stand by the words of our lady as well," Gunter spoke in behalf of himself, Jakob, and Felicia; who all nodded in agreement. Sakura unsurprisingly trusted Rinkah as well, as did her and Takumi's retainers.

"I've known you long enough to know that you don't make rash or unfounded judgments, Lord Corrin," Roku grunted, "you have my support."

"A-and mine as well!" Zenzi piped up.

"I see no reason to doubt her," Kaze gave a simple nod. "The Flame Tribe is not known for their dishonesty." He glanced casually over at Anna, who had lately been something of his partner in a lot of their scouting operations.

"Hey, I might have a dishonest reputation like every other merchant who's ever turned a profit," Anna began, "but I honestly believe her too. Why is everyone looking at me?"

Incidentally, most people were now looking towards Mozu, who had been quiet this whole time.

"Shucks, Rinkah seems like an honest enough gal," Mozu shrugged, "I trust all y'all so far for givin' me friends and a place t'live and all that. 'Sides; if Archduke Izana's gonna sacrifice himself for us, I wanna at least think we've got a chance to rescue him, yeah?"

"Wonderful, wonderful!" Izana stood up and clapped. "I'm glad you can all agree that my impending doom is for the greater good of us all. I mean it is, but I'm not gonna go around bragging that this is all my doing or anything. If I can help knock the Exalted One down a peg to keep him or her from destroying the world, then Izana-nana is going to help!"

He rolled his shoulders. "Just give me a moment to climb the steps to the highest tower and make my offering." he continued, "The Old Gods don't just settle for partial efforts!"

Everyone was silent as Izana left the room. No one really dared say anything almost as if they feared that his ritual would be disrupted if anyone spoke.

After about 5 minutes though, this tension was broken by Silas and Kamui.

"So Kamui… I've been thinking…"

"Oh hey!" she raised a bottle, "me too!"

"I said thinking, not drinking." Silas laughed.

"Oh… well, normally when I drink I don't think I think too much, and usually when I think, I think to drink, which stops the thinking and starts the drinking."

"That…" Silas began, really contemplating turning this into a rhyming game, but decided that he would rather finish his subject, "okay, so anyways… remember how on your 14th birthday you wrote up a huge wishlist of places you wanted to see someday?"

"I do," Kamui smirked, "are you saying what I think you're saying?"

"You know it," Silas smirked. "I can't promise when, given the war… but I promise that as long as I live, I'll do what I can to make it happen."

Silas' breaking of the silence led others to start conversing, with various subjects popping up from speculation about Kagero and the Exalted One down to theories on what Izana would say upon his return. Whatever the case, about 10 minutes later, a slightly dizzied Izana returned, his hands running through his still surprisingly neat hair.

"Archduke!" Sakura gasped, "are you alright?"

"I'm fine…" Izana shrugged it off as if it was no big deal, "well, I'll be fine in the long run assuming you find the alcohol sages, but that definitely cost me my soul in the meantime."

"That's terrible!" Even if Corrin had come to expect it, it still didn't sit overly well with him. "Were you at least able to get anything useful in return?"

"Well of course, silly!" Izana coughed, "I mean, the Old Gods don't make cheap offers, and this one was definitely a pricey one. I did manage to find out a bit more about ol' Exaltie and her band of minions though…"

"So the Exalted One's a girl?" Corrin was clinging to every word Izana was saying, and he was not the only one.

"Yup," Izana chuckled, "I wasn't able to get much more information on her, but that eliminates 50% of the population as possible candidates, right? But more importantly, I got some advice on how to stop her." He staggered a little bit at this point.

"Anything you learned would be invaluable right now," Corrin was at Izana's side, helping hold him up as he watched the brilliant man's life force deplete in front of him.

"Seek… the Rainbow Dragon." Izana wheezed, "and embrace… the Harbingers…"

"What's that mean? Kamui looked up from her drink.

"Oh, well I'm not entirely sure…" Izana mumbled, "but I'm pretty sure the Rainbow Dragon is... some kind of sage or something. I do know of a Rainbow Sage in Notre Sagesse... at the top of the Sevenfold Sanctuary though… maybe his patron god is the Rainbow Dragon? I'm… not entirely sure."

There was silence as Corrin processed this information.

"Anyways…" Izana coughed again, breaking the silence, "do put me somewhere safe where… I'll look good and asleep… and my hair will stay neat, y'hear?"

"Is there nothing we can do?" Sakura had tears forming in her eyes as she joined Corrin at Izana's side. "Nothing that involves waiting a long time as we watch the life slowly leave you?"

"Oh it's not… THAT bad…" Izana coughed again, "Just… make sure to take my advice and… well, put it to use and stuff. I'll… be back… someday…"

And with that, Izana's eyes closed for what seemed like the final time. Corrin heeded Izana's final wish, setting him upon one of his beds in a rather graceful position, making it appear as if the Archduke was merely sleeping. He returned a moment later with a somber expression as he glanced around at his army. Their expressions were mostly the same: somber and stoic, as if the happiness had been sucked out of the room all at once.

"We need to move on," he announced, "our purpose here is concluded, until the time when Rinkah says is right to bring him back. In the meantime, we've got friends and family members to save, and an Exalted One to stop in her tracks. Who's with me?"

"Hear, hear!" Kamui raised her bottle. To her slight surprise, Oboro did the same, and so Kamui clinked bottles before they both took a drink.

New Kamui was fairly silent that evening as they returned to the Astral Plane. Kamui was still awake, and Oboro ran into her as she was finishing up some chores for the evening.

"Drinking again?" she sighed.

"Come on; you act like you've never seen a Nohrian put away alcohol before…" Kamui quipped.

"What have you got there?" Oboro actually sat down next to Kamui, "because if I'm gonna have to clean up after you I might as well enjoy a bit myself."

"Didn't think you were much of a drinker," Kamui quipped, sliding a black and orange bottle Oboro's way, "you fond of Nohrian Firewhiskey at all, or is that too much Nohr?"

"It's…" Oboro licked her lips, despite her left eye twitching, "it's actually one of the few things about Nohr I can stand."

She popped the cork off with a bit more grace than Kamui, and said cork plopped onto the table, bouncing a few times before coming to a halt.

"That's how you remove the cork, rather than shoot it across the room," Oboro pointed out as she took a long draught, "Anyways, what's your excuse this time?" This question, while it seemed harsh and straightforward, was more just Oboro wondering if Kamui was drinking for the fun of it or if something was on her mind. Kamui was not offended by it considering that Oboro asked it any time she found Kamui in the mess hall drinking.

"It's… my family, actually." Kamui sighed, slamming her tankard on the table. "Knowing that they're out there… being manipulated by that… thing… or whatever. It's… argh…" she growled and trailed off.

"At least you still have family to worry about," Oboro sighed, a rather dark tone invading her voice with this remark.

"Oboro," Kamui swung her head towards the young tailor with a frown. "You know I didn't mean it like that, and it's especially unfair to say it like that when I'm intoxicated."

"It's…" Oboro stammered before sighing again. "No, I apologize, Kamui. I didn't mean for it to come out like that. It's… just…" She trailed off. Kamui glanced at her and noticed that her focus had shifted from Kamui to her whiskey to the small window where the starry skies were visible in the distance.

"Is there a reason you enjoy doing chores in such dim light?" Kamui frowned. "Does it have something to do with… y'know…"

"NO!" Oboro jumped, as if startled, "I… mean… no, of course not. It's just that after being awake all day and dealing with all that light it's nice to sometimes enjoy the dark."

"Then why are you always glancing out the windows when you work?" Kamui raised her eyebrows, "you afraid someone's going to catch you in the scandalous act of doing chores?"

"Kamui…" Oboro's eye twitched again as she stuttered a little.

"Or do you normally do these chores in nothing but shoes and a hair tie and so you glance out the window to avoid peeping toms? And then when you keep your clothes on it's more just a force of habit?" Kamui seemed much more comically excited about this than she should have. Oboro looked like she had been slapped in the face by a ton of bricks, her jaw hanging at a slack angle and really bringing the dumbfounded look home.

"...for fuck's sake, Kamui, NO, it's not that!" She whacked Kamui with her bottle and accidentally broke it over Kamui's head. The purple-haired girl just laughed.

"Sorry," Kamui calmed back down, brushing some bangs out of her face to keep the whiskey from dripping into her eyes. "But on a more serious note… does it have something to do with… that night?"

Oboro froze. "Why are you so nosy tonight?" She growled.

"Oboro…" Kamui seized the girl's hand, clutching it between her own gloved hands, "I'm an ass and I know it, but that doesn't mean I don't give a shit about people's feelings—especially not people I'm close to or people I like. I see you enough times that I've noticed your behaviour. It's just… you seem desperate, and believe it or not, it breaks my heart to see…"

"Hrrgg…" Oboro snatched another bottle of Kamui's firewhiskey, "Dammit, Kamui. You saw right through me. No matter how hard I try not to me, I'm a mess. I put up a front so I don't just fall apart, and I give people my evil-eye to keep them away. It… I can't keep living like this, Kamui. I really can't."

"Have you talked to anyone else about it?" Kamui looked Oboro in the eyes, her own slitted pupils and red eyes gazing right into Oboro's brown ones. "Sakura? Takumi? Corrin? anyone?"

"I haven't even told Lord Takumi…" Oboro buried her face into her palms. "I don't feel like bothering him with my issues, and… well maybe I should."

"Well shit, I'm no therapist or anything," Kamui reasoned, "but if you want my advice… Sakura. If there's anyone who will make you feel like you're walking on flower petals it's her. I mean, I'm pretty sure she could just walk into this room right now and the tension we've worked up against ourselves would just fizzle out immediately."

"That… is a good idea." Oboro took another long shot from her bottle before standing up, "I… thanks for helping me realize that, Kamui. It… it means more than you think."

"Hey, I just got lucky and had a stroke of beautiful inspiration. Usually I get stuck trying to come up with ideas, and so I end up writing shit like _Dancers and Diviners_ …"

"You know…" Oboro giggled, as she headed towards the door, "that book is not nearly half as bad as you think it is."

"That's a lie and you know it!" Kamui rose to her feet, but Oboro had already disappeared, her spirits a lot higher now than they were when she had first come in...


	59. Chapter 59: Sisterly Concerns

**AUTHOR'S NOTES:** _And thus marks the true final chapter of Act III. This chapter is "filler" only insomuch that there's no game-story progress, but instead another diversionary focus on character development. Alot of this chapter is to show how therapeutic Sakura is, but also to show some more of the interesting contrasts between Corrin and Kamui, and that despite these differences, they still ave the same goals and ambitions regarding the war. That's just how twins are sometimes; I'm a twin myself, and the two of us couldn't be any more different, even down to our sleeping habits. I amy have drawn some inspiration for the Corrin/Kamui relationship from this.  
Either way, Happy Reading!_

 **CHAPTER 59: Sisterly Concerns**

 _Sing with me a song of Siblings and Fears…_

The next morning Oboro took Kamui's advice right away and went to find Sakura. She had a few inner musings as she wandered around the grounds of New Kamui trying to find the little princess, mostly about her own mental stability.

"It's fine during the day, but why is it that every night, even in a place as safe as this, I feel like we're being watched or that bandits could attack at any moment?" Oboro mentally hit herself, "Oboro, get your shit together…"

Perhaps what she needed was a relaxing bath. While she had initially been skeptical about Kamui's adamant decision to build a hot spring here on the castle grounds, she quickly grew to like it (and Kamui's stubborn insistence both to her, Corrin, and anyone else who opposed it really helped ensure its permanence), and now made regular trips there to keep her skin smooth and her hair soft.

She was met with a naked Kamui wrapped in nothing but a towel.

"Is this… normal in Nohr?" she glanced at the dripping wet dragon girl, purple bangs obscuring her eyes.

"It is, actually," Kamui didn't even skip a beat. "Sakura didn't see anything though. She and I have some level of privacy-and no, she's not naked."

"Are you always this awkward?" Oboro elbowed Kamui. While they might have had weird exchanges such as this one, from time to time, Kamui had actually grown on Oboro, despite her quirks and antics.

"Absolutely." Kamui dropped her towel as she walked past, revealing to Oboro that her backside was surprisingly a bit less scarred than the rest of her body.

"For fuck's sake, Kamui!" Oboro barked after the girl, "Have some decency!"

"I'm a water dragon, and I do whatever I damn well please!" Kamui retorted, but then was gone. Oboro rolled her eyes but went to get changed. Unlike Kamui, Oboro and most other Hoshidans wore proper bathing attire when at the springs. Fortunately for Oboro, however, most of the other Nohrians did too as well, and so this was most likely just bad timing and Kamui trying to tease.

She was surprised, however, when she found Sakura marinating in the water, her pink locks stuck to her face as if she had just pulled her head out of the water.

"Who's there?" She asked, though her tone made it clear she was more curious than frightened.

"Just Oboro," Oboro began shrugging off her clothes before slipping in the water to join Sakura. "You're exactly the person I wanted to see."

"Really?" Sakura pushed some of her wet bangs from her face, "Wh-what for?"

"Well… I've also been contemplating a few outfits worthy of a beautiful princess, and so naturally you were the first to come to mind!" Oboro smiled. "Lady Hinoka is beautiful too... but she's also stubborn and much harder to convince. You though… you look good in everything and I've got some ideas I would love to try sometime."

Oboro was actually lying about all of this, but she knew she could some up with something gorgeous for Sakura to wear with relative ease, so she didn't really consider it lying. "But also… just something I'd like to get off my chest. Do you mind listening to some bitter old lady bitch and ramble for a bit?"

"You're not old." Sakura turned to Oboro, and in that moment, her eyes met Oboro's.

There was a certain and very intriguing depth to Sakura's red eyes. It was very rare for her to look anyone in the eyes due to her shyness, but the eyes were truly the windows into the soul of Sakura Ikarayu. Here Oboro saw an unshatterable will and a pure desire to protect and improve the lives of those around her. It was admirable, and the young tailor was almost jealous.

"You know what I meant," Oboro shook her head, "but I don't want to bog you down with my troubles if your mind is occupied with other things."

"What's troubling you, Oboro?" Sakura frowned, taking Oboro's hands in her own, and to her utmost surprise, there was Sakura, gazing right into her eyes.

"How did I never notice it before?" She gasped, her face sinking the longer she looked at Oboro's, "Gods… it's eating away at you! Oboro, please… tell me what's the matter!"

It pained Oboro to see Sakura looking so hurt, but the young princess' intentions were clear and were pure. There was no way for Oboro to say no even if she wanted to.

"It's… complicated, see…" Oboro scratched the back of her head. "I've told you what happened to my parents, right?"

"Only that they were killed…" Sakura whispered, "and I'm so sorry if I did anything to bring back any of those terrible memories…"

"No… it wasn't you; it wasn't anyone, really." Oboro shook her head, "It's just… that night-the memories of that night… It's turned me irrational, and I can see it. On some nights I'm even crazier than Kamui when she's sober. I've kind of pushed people away in my desperation to keep a distance. I talk to Lord Takumi about my hatred of Nohr sometimes, but usually he just helps refuel that hatred for similar reasons. I've never actually told him why I hate Nohr; just that I do. I mean, I can't just let go… but… I don't know. It's hard to explain. Do you get what I'm saying, or am I just blathering like an idiot?"

Tears welled up in Sakura's eyes for a moment, and they were noticeable despite the water and humidity around them. "Oboro, you poor thing!" she cried, "you kept that bottled up for this long? And you didn't vent to anyone?"

"Well, I vented a little to Lady Kamui last night, and she told me to come see you," Oboro admitted, "but other than that, I really haven't."

Sakura frowned. "Why didn't you tell anyone?" she looked Oboro right in the eyes again.

"What can anyone do about it?" Oboro complained, "it's not like my bitching is going to bring my parents back or undo what was done. It's better just to forget about it. The less I think about it, the less angry I get. It's simple."

"No!" Sakura seized Oboro's shoulders, "that… that's not how it works at all!"

"What do you mean?" Oboro's left eye twitched slightly as one eyebrow lowered and the other rose in a curious expression. "I didn't mean offense, Lady Sakura…"

"K-keeping things bottled in like that is just going to hurt you in the long run..." Sakura kept her grip on Oboro's shoulders, "Finding someone to talk to about your problems can be therapeutic. Trust me on this. Moments before you showed up, I was speaking to Kamui about her worries and concerns. You aren't alone with things that ail you, Oboro Fukui."

"Lady Sakura… your very presence is therapeutic, I kid you not. It doesn't matter what's going on. When you're around, it's so much easier for me to remain calm, and I'd bet some good coin that I'm not the only one that thinks so."

She paused, before looking Sakura right in the eyes. This time the younger girl's gaze diverted and she shied away as her hands slipped from Oboro's shoulders.

"How do you do it?" she asked, "how are you so strong-willed that you can help bear the burdens of others and ask for nothing in return?"

"I…" Sakura played with her fingertips, "I can't abide suffering. When I see someone I love or care about suffering, I have to help. They deserve better."

"And what if they don't?" Oboro frowned, "what if I don't? What if my whole vendetta against Nohrians is unfounded? I mean sure I hate them, but… as much as it hurts my years-old pride to say it, some of those bastards are actually not half bad."

"Oboro!" Sakura's expression resembled that of a scolding mother's, "you're better than that and you know it!" Where did all of this self-loathing even come from?"

Sakura was a tricky one. On one hand, anyone who saw her for more than a few seconds knew that she was shy, but there were times like this where her fierce confidence and stubbornness shone through. Oboro thought back to Izumo, where Sakura had stubbornly volunteered to hold off Takumi, and commanded the others in such an authoritative way that not even Corrin had argued it. As such, she knew when she was beat.

"I think Lady Kamui's grim attitude about all of this got to me… and so did my own doubts and fears." Oboro confessed. There was no lying to Sakura. "I apologize, Lady Sakura."

"D-don't worry…" Sakura's voice returned to her usual meek tone, "I had a long talk with Lady Kamui right here in the water just before you came. She shouldn't be sounding so down and dour all the time anymore."

"Whoa, how did you convince her?" Oboro gawked.

"The same way I convinced you, really," Sakura giggled, before looking again at Oboro with a sincere expression. "because I care about you, and I want you to be happy."

Whether or not Kamui had intended it, her advice for Oboro to talk to Sakura had been extremely effective. Sakura really did have a soothing presence, and even after she left the hotspring, Oboro thought about how how comforting her words had been as she marinated a while longer.

Fortunately for her, she did not have to run into Kamui in the buff again. Corrin, however, was not so fortunate.

"For heaven's sake, Kamui, put some clothes on!" he recoiled.

"You know, there's this thing called knocking before entering my PRIVATE ROOM?" Kamui quipped, although she seemed far less disturbed by the scenario than her brother, despite him being the clothed one of the two. "But seriously, what did you need?"

"Well now I need two things. Firstly, for the love of Ferevs, Kamui; get dressed."

"Close the damn door then," Kamui grunted as she stood up. "Or watch. Whatever floats your boat." Far from being suggestive, Kamui's tone betrayed an attitude of indifference. Corrin, being the far more mature one of the twins, decided to attribute it to her upbringing instead of reacting, and so slid the door shut to give Kamui a moment.

The door slid open a moment later and Kamui stood in it, now clothed apart from her head and feet. "So what did you need, brother?" Just like that she acted like nothing had happened.

"I just saw more of you than I ever wanted to see and you just dismiss it like that?"

"Well sheesh, if you keep bringing it up, then of course you won't ever live it down. Shit happens; people make mistakes. We get back up and keep moving. Sometimes talking to the right person can make all the difference, really."

"I'll admit," Corrin gave pause, "That's part of what I wanted to talk to you about."

"Wait," Kamui raised her eyebrow, "you're asking ME for my shoulder to lean on? Despite my binge-drinking to drown out my troubles and worries about Camilla and the rest of my family in the hands of the Exalted One? Come on; surely you can find someone better than me for all of this. Why not Sakura? Maybe even Takumi?"

"Because you're the most flesh-and-blood relative I've got," Corrin put his hands on Kamui's shoulders. "And I just want to get some things off my chest."

"Well shit," Kamui shrugged, "lay it on me then. I might not be too bright, but these big pointy ears are for more than just good looks, y'know. What's on your mind?"

Corrin was silent for a moment as he looked into Kamui's eyes. It had been a while since he had gotten this close to his sister, and it was only now that he realized how obvious it was that they were twins. Kamui had the same facial structure and even the same messy purple hair that he had. It was her eyes that looked exactly like his, however.

"I just want you to know…" Corrin began, "I'm worried too. Not just for Kagero, but for Ryoma and Hinoka-and for your siblings as well. I swear upon my honor as your brother and as this army's leader that we will stop at nothing until they are safely with us. Just… as long as you understand that I'm not a miracle worker. I want to bring them back as soon as possible just like anyone."

"I know that…" Kamui nodded, "and sure I might blow a fuse or get upset about this or that from the separation anxiety I'm going through… but you've got my support. If our next stop is Mokushu, then you can expect me on the front lines, armed to the teeth and raring to go."

"Then get ready," Corrin smirked, "because tomorrow, we ride."

"That's the secret, brother," Kamui smirked. "I'm always ready."

Corrin laughed, but knew that Kamui had a point. Whatever the case, tomorrow was going to be an interesting day.


	60. Chapter 60: Mutual Enemies

**AUTHOR'S NOTES:** _Sorry for the bit of a dry spell on this fic. Life happened, and Fire Emblem Echoes happened, which briefly sapped inspiration from this fic. Whatever the case, the show must go on, and I am not so swiftly abandoning this story, especially right as we get into the good parts and herald the arrival of Act 4. This act will cover more of the siblings being rescued, as well as a few "side quests" so to speak, with more character focus and such. Also, similar to a few other chapters, the characters we meet in this chapter have not formally joined, and as such, won't be listed until that becomes official. As always, read and review if you want to drop some input on which way you think the story should go, or for any pairing suggestions (since most of them are still fairly up in the air), or anything else. Either way, I'll stop rambling now, and offer you the 60th installment of the Silent Dragons series.  
Happy Reading!_

 **ACT IV: IN SEARCH OF POWER**

 **CHAPTER 60: Mutual Enemies**

 _Sing with me a song of Traitors and Power…_

Takumi and Hinata had minimal trouble adjusting to New Kamui, although with the information Corrin had about Kotaro, Kagero, and Mokushu, it was clear that they had little time to ruminate on it. Fortunately, because of the different flow of time on the Astral Plane (which Lilith reminded them of) they weren't forced to jump from one place to the other with negligible rest. This was a boon that had helped them turn the tides against forces that otherwise outnumbered them.

Even then, both Corrin and Kamui wanted to find time to address a few things with them, and it seemed that Oboro was not the only one that needed a word with Hinata. Sadly, such things would have to wait, for the time had come for the army to move out and take back Mokushu.

The journey there was fairly silent, barring a bit of banter between soldiers. Silas and Kamui seemed to be talking about some magnificent adventure that Silas was planning, while Oboro had gone back to talking fashion with a still fairly hesitant Mozu. Of these various chats, Hana and Hinata were the ones to attract the most curious audience.

"Seventeen… in a single move? That's impossible, Hinata. Have you been reading more of that _Dancers and Diviners_ book that Lady Kamui wrote?"

"Hey, that's actually not a bad idea," Hinata laughed. "But it's kind of a stupid book, at least according to her."

"It's not stupid!" Hana jumped before instantly shutting up. "I MEAN—"

"Ohh ho ho, so you DO like it!" Hinata laughed.

"It's not that good, for fuck's sake!" Kamui shouted from the distance, but her complaint went unnoticed. Hana growled.

"Okay… so the Dancer is a pretty cool character. But even SHE didn't kill 17 enemies with a single attack. Now you're telling me that the tome Archduke Izana gave to Lady Sakura was wielded by a girl who did exactly that?"

"An Empress, no less!" Hinata grinned, "Look, I can see why you'd be skeptical, but you know me… I'm a terrible liar! I'm just repeating what the Archduke said, anyways."

"I suppose that means I need to step up my swordplay," Hana mumbled.

"Heya," Hinata offered, "I want to protect Lord Takumi just as much as you wanna protect Lady Sakura! Maybe you and I should become sparring buddies!"

"I like that idea…" Hana cooed, "we're still keeping score from the last time we fought together though, right?"

"It's still 43-42 my favour, unless you're going to count the skirmishes you've been in without me until now." Hinata answered.

"I dispatched 18 at Izumo. How about you?"

"21! Hinata beamed, "so now it's 64-61 my lead."

"Why I oughta…" Hana moved as if to roll up her sleeve before Corrin called for them to halt as he held up his hand. He sniffed the air and smelled smoke.

"Kaze, you see that, yes?" He indicated.

"Aye;" Kaze nodded, "but that's not just some ordinary plume of smoke. That's my brother's smoke signal."

"Saizo's there?" Corrin glanced up at the towering column of smoke in the distance, "Then it seems the odds are in our favour. What does it mean though?"

"Actually, it means that there are a large number of troops there, and he's trying to warn allies away." Kaze warned, "we should keep our distance."

"What?" Corrin gawked, "Kaze, you can't be serious. This is your brother we're talking about. If we can save Kagero, we can help him. No, I've made up my mind. Everyone, prepare for battle! We're going to follow the smoke signal and help Saizo!"

"Sounds good to me," Kamui smirked and pulled out her axe. Many others followed suit, and they raced through the woods.

"I am still hesitant about this endeavour, Lord Corrin," Kaze explained as they made their way through the woods. "While myself and many others are willing to risk our lives in the heat of the battle, this would put our entire army in danger."

"The enemy we're facing can't be beaten unless we amass as many allies as we can," Corrin reminded him, "The Seal of Flames that Izana spoke of was the key to unlocking a weapon capable of slaying gods, and so I'm pretty sure we can deduce what kind of enemy we'll be dealing with at the End of All."

"I trust you absolutely," Kaze assured him, "I simply wish to ensure that you are aware of the dangers that will befall us."

"I'm aware, and thank you." Corrin nodded, "I can't just sit on my hands when an ally is in need though. We have to be willing to help each other regardless of the danger. Saizo would likely do the same for us."

"A fair point, milord." Kaze smiled. "That sounds like the same kind of bold and headstrong approach Princess Rinkah would take."

"I heard that!" Rinkah called out, "...but he's right. Stay on your guard, people. We've entered Mokushu territory. Heavily forested, full of traps and decoys. I got lost here once, nearly 2-years to the day. Anyone want to guess what little 14-year-old me did?"

"Please tell me you just burned everything." Kamui laughed.

"Gods, you're swift to jump to conclusions, aren't you, princess?" Rinkah scoffed, and then frowned. "But you're right. I set everything on fire and ran."

"At least make sure our allies are all out of there before doing anyth—" Takumi began, before trying to put on an authoritative facade, "I mean, let's not light the whole place on fire shall we?"

"Wouldn't dream of it," Rinkah shook her head, "I've learned my lesson, and let me tell you, it was painful."

"Is it karmic or ironic that a Flame Tribe princess got burned?" Kamui quipped.

"Burned?" Rinkah gawked, "oh no, it was much worse than burning. Remind me when we get back to camp and I'll tell you the story."

"Oy!" Mozu called out, turning to Corrin, "you didn't send anyone up ahead to go scout didja?" She saw Anna and Kaze, Corrin's two usual forward scouts, at Corrin's side, which had prompted her to ask the question.

"Not yet, especially with the hazards in the forest," Corrin admitted, "why?"

"Well, y'all are tramplin' right over a few nice sets of footprints." Mozu pointed out, getting really close to the ground to point out signs of light footfalls, likely from dexterous warriors such as ninjas or swordmasters. "These might be the folks we're lookin' for?"

"Good eye, Mozu," Kaze gave her a brief smile, "Milord, I believe that following these tracks would be in our best interest."

The army moved quicker after following the tracks, for they indicated a path that would be free from traps or diversions. Soon enough, however, they were rather deep in the forest, where only a minimal amount of sunlight could reach them.

"Are you thinking what I'm thinking, Kamui?" Rinkah elbowed her purple-haired friend.

"Only you can promote forest fires?" Kamui raised an eyebrow.

"Exactly," Rinkah smirked. "This place is practically a maze with how deep we are in here. Everyone stay alert."

Almost as if this was a cue of sorts, a shuriken came out of nowhere, flying towards Kamui's throat. Silas nearly took the hit in her place, but managed to deflect it with his sword, where it whizzed to the left before striking a tree.

"Show yourself!" Takumi demanded. There was a flash of brown and another shuriken, this time aimed at Takumi. Oboro was the one to take the hit instead though, attempting to block it from striking her liege. She was partially successful insomuch that it didn't hit him, but it struck her in the shoulder.

"Shurikens!" Anna pointed out, "Mokushujin by the looks of 'em. I'll have to have a word with my sisters on who they sell these things to…"

"Why are the Mokushujin attacking us?" Takumi glanced from Anna to Oboro and back again.

"That was likely just a scout," Kaze warned, disappearing for a moment to scout ahead. He reappeared a moment later with a grim answer to his premonition. "There are more heading this way."

"Well if they aren't going to listen to diplomacy, let's burn this fucker down!" Kamui growled.

"Everyone," Corrin knew enough about Kamui's style of speech to know that this time; she actually didn't intend to light the place on fire, "prepare yourselves for battle!"

"Ready to start keeping score?" Hana elbowed Hinata.

"Winning is my middle name!" Hinata beamed. "Let's rumble!"

Everyone had their weapons drawn and took out the next wave of would-be ambushers with minimal effort. It seemed that they were slightly frazzled as if someone was attacking them from behind, and only after they had dispatched the next wave did Corrin's army learn the root cause.

Saizo stood in front of them, flanked by Orochi and a small contingent of Hoshidan ninjas. His single eye darted around at the armed soldiers in front of him, falling first upon Corrin, and then to Kamui, Kaze, Sakura, and finally Takumi.

"I'd ask what you're doing here," he grunted, "but it seems that your allies and their weapons speak for themselves."

"We're here to help!" Corrin stepped forward, "Anything about the current situation would be great to know, and we're here to fight at your side."

"Hmm," Saizo muttered, "Seems I was wrong at Fort Jinya. I suppose I owe your retainers an apology after all this is over. In the meantime, you have my blade."

Saizo explained the situation to Corrin and the others, revealing that they had essentially cornered the cause of this commotion: a man named Kotaro. He was the one holding Kagero hostage, and they had finally cornered him and the vestiges of his armies.

"Reason is lost on this man," Saizo warned, "diplomacy is not an option, and he must die. If you do not wish to do so, then I suggest leaving him to me."

"I trust your judgment, Saizo." Corrin admitted, "as much as I wish we didn't have to resort to violence, sometimes it seems it is necessary."

"Right then," Saizo muttered. He added a few extra details and got Corrin and his comrades caught up on the story behind what they had been doing between the battle at Fort Jinya and the current date, and explained that Ryoma and Hinoka were still missing and dangerous. He nearly finished before the sound of a mad woman's laughter pierced the skies.

"Oh… and Reina's here." Saizo added.

"My, my…" Gunter looked particularly amused at this notion, wondering how his old nemesis would react to seeing him again.

Reina did not disappoint. As soon as she came into view, her right side and much of her front flecked in fresh blood, her eyes locked with Gunter and she licked her lips.

"Of all the people I expected to meet here, I hardly expected to see you, Gunter," she cooed. "What drags you all this way out here?"

"The Leadership of the Hoshidan Prince, actually," Gunter pointed out, "I would ask the same of you, although your appearance seems to be a rather fair indicator."

"This forest is amazing," Reina grinned, "I can almost taste the bitter animosity of it all. The acoustics make the screams of these traitors that much more melodious. Come, Gunter; or anyone else who wishes to carve a bloody swathe through the trees… join me!"

"You seem far more excited about being here than simply going killing," Gunter mused.

"I have my reasons as well," Reina chuckled, "A friend of mine used to live here, and I figure with Kotaro trying to stab Hoshido in the back, now was as good a time as ever for me to join in on the fun."

"I like the way this girl thinks," Rinka thumbed over her shoulder towards Reina.

"I'm sure I'll warm up to her in no time," Kamui replied, "last time we met she literally tried to kill me, but I suppose that's the charm.

"Let's get moving then," Corrin warned the others. "Time is of the essence, and it seems that reason is lost on the Mokushujin. Unless a soldier throws down his weapon and surrenders… show them no mercy."


	61. Chapter 61: A Father Avenged

**AUTHOR'S NOTES:** _After writing Kotaro in this chapter, I almost grew to like the bastard. There's nothing wrong with a shamelessly greedy and self-centered villain who knows how to press buttons. In other news though, we wrap up this stage (and its dreaded map), although we'll assess the true damage in the following chapter. This one focuses primarily on Kotaro and those who get to/have to deal with him. We also get to learn what surnames I gave to Kaze/Saizo, and Rinkah, so I suppose there's that. As usual, Any characters you want to see more of (or less of), and other such things, drop me a line in the comments._  
 _Happy Reading!_

 **CHAPTER 61: A Father Avenged**

 _Sing with me a song of Vengeance and Peace…_

While Kotaro and his men might have been cornered in their little part of the forest, they were rooted pretty firmly, and thanks to his spy network of ninjas that dotted the forest, he was well aware of who had just invaded his final stronghold.

"Daimyo Kotaro," a scout reported, "Saizo's company has been joined by the Dawn and Dusk Dragons. They're moving on our position as we speak."

"Hold the line," Kotaro ordered, "fight as dirty as you need to, and hold nothing back. We'll have them so roughed up by the time they reach their precious little ninja that they won't even know the sky from the ground."

He turned to where a scantily-dressed Kagero was tied to a tree, having been "relieved" of her weapons and armor shortly after her initial capture.

"Tell me, curvaceous one," he put his fingers under Kagero's chin, "what kind of complete fool walks into such an obvious trap? Is their leader as naive and stupid as I've been led to believe? No one can be that gullible, can they?"

Kagero scowled, but did not reply.

"Oh wait… you fell for it, hook, line, and sinker!" Kotaro laughed. "And here I had always thought that Prince Ryoma had hired competent retainers."

"It's clear you have no honor," Kagero pointed out, "and you're trying to bait me. Obviously you're too fearful to let me go, for you know I would report your betrayal to Hoshido—or did you forget about the alliance our two nations had forged?"

"Lady, don't get all soft with me about honor and sentiment." Kotaro rolled his eyes, "I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but Nohr's tactician has hired me on. The pay's good, and the spoils from the affluent Hoshido should more than cover any costs I have."

"Don't you have any heart at all?" Kagero spat. "Or are you going to violate me the way you've violated the peace treaties with Hoshido?"

"Whoa now," Kotaro put a finger to Kagero's lips. The ninja snapped at it, but Kotaro pulled it away. "I may be a lot of things, and honor might not be my strong suit—at least according to you… but I did no such thing, nor will I. I do have standards, you know."

"Never would have guessed it." Kagero riposted. "I suppose you have a glorious explanation that justifies you relieving me of nearly every stitch on my body?"

"Just as I have standards, I am also not stupid." Kotaro laughed, "were you expecting me to leave you fully equipped in an open prison cell, so you could wait there for the first member of your resistance army to speak to you to bring you back to the "right" side?"

Kagero scowled, more angry that he had a point. That might have explained why he had left her smallclothes, but overall, the situation was still understandably humiliating.

"So what do you want with me?" She glared up at him again.

"Sizing up the enemy is always a wise idea when playing politics, Kagero dear," Kotaro smirked, "And if I'm not mistaken, I think your little dragon-prince has a crush on you. Whether or not it's true, he seemed pretty adamant on saving you."

"Who told you that?" Kagero spat, her face already red earlier. She was more shocked that he knew Corrin rather than his speculations on their relationship. Kotaro laughed.

"A ninja must not show any emotion," he mocked, "isn't that how your creed goes? Don't you worry about it. I have agents that scout around Castle Shirasagi now and again. They hear things, and they report things. Should I tell you some of the things they said?"

Kagero tilted her head and said nothing. SHe didn't want to flatter Kotaro or stroke his ego any more than it was already inflated. Instead she used this time to regain her composure, and lowered her head.

"I have always been ready to die for my liege and my cause," she sighed, "although I never realized until now just how much it would hurt to see my failure unfurl itself around me…"

She was jolted along with a great deal of the forest as the ground shook for a moment. A moment later a pair of frazzled ninjas stumbled through the trees.

"Daimyo Kotaro!" they exclaimed, "the Dawn Dragon's army has broken through our first line of defense. The 2nd line is holding, but not for long. They have devastating weapons on their side."

"We can handle the Dawn Dragon," Kotaro scoffed. He was not foolish enough to doubt his trusted soldiers or their warnings, but his arrogance might have had him underestimate Corrin and his armies just a little—or more accurately, who else was in Corrin's army.

"He has the Dusk Dragon with him," the other ninja continued, "and she's tearing through our lines like a hot knife through butter."

"Order the men to break the lines and scatter," Kotaro demanded, "head for the trees, lure them towards traps, and by all means, fight as dirty as you need to in order to cripple these invaders. It seems I'll have to assist my men directly from here…"

He left Kagero alone, still tied to the tree. She was unable to move much more than her fingertips and her ears (an ability Kagero seldom mentioned), and was thus unable to escape. Kotaro's bindings were well-tied and secure.

Kotaro's feint worked well to his advantage for a while, and he managed to lead Corrin and his army into grounds infested with caltrops and punji sticks. Kamui was naturally the first victim of these caltrops, her foot finding them first, and since it caught her off guard, she stumbled, and nearly got a face full of them. Even in her dragon form, this shock and negative stimulation actually forced her back into her humanoid form, where she was still bleeding.

"HOLD!" she barked, and everyone froze for a moment apart from Saizo, Kaze, and Takumi.

"No one move," Saizo ordered, "keep your weapons ready. Kaze and I will scout out exactly where not to step and see just who we're dealing with."

"Stay where you are, Lady Kamui!" Silas called out, "We're coming for you!"

Incidentally, the one to make the move was Takumi. With Fujin Yumi in hand, he sprinted across the spike-ridden terrain as if it was solid ground, jumping to Kamui's left. His eyes flashed green for a moment as he stamped his foot. The ground around them rumbled, before flattening and concealing the traps that Kamui had stumbled into.

"No dying yet, princess," he offered his hand. "You owe me!"

"Takumi, I…" Kamui was surprised to see Takumi's selfless act, "Thanks—"

She was cut off as a barrage of shurikens whizzed towards her from the trees. She swung her axe at one of said trees with such force that she felled it in a single swing, disrupting the saboteurs that were trying to ambush them.

"Looks like the cautious option's out," he growled, before cocking his head towards his retainers. "Well don't just stand there! We're under attack!"

"No need to tell me twice!" Hinata pulled out his katana and raced in. "I've got a score to keep!"

"And I've got a score to top!" Hana raced after him. Oboro readied her spear and found herself side-by-side with Mozu.

"Eyes on the forest…" the little Hoshidan muttered, clutching a bow, "not the trees…"

There were dozens of Mokushujin concealed in the leaves of the deciduous woods around them, but the survivalist in Mozu knew how to detect them, and she instead showed terrifying proficiency with a bow as she started picking them off one by one. Full-on chaos erupted moments later as Kaze and Saizo found themselves in a tangle with some of Kotaro's more elite units, which were a herald of Kotaro's own arrival. Rinkah, who was on the front lines as usual, was the first to run into him.

"I am Princess Rinkah Nayeli the Second," she brandished an enormous spiked club, "and gods help me, I'm here to kick your ass."

"Well, well…" he jeered, "if it isn't the Flame Tribe whelp whose chief is no longer in our way. I wondered when this moment would come…"

Rinkah's eyes quite literally flashed a fiery red as her arms from hand to shoulder were suddenly wreathed in flames.

"SAY. WHAT!?" she roared, leaving an immense smoldering crater in the ground where her great club had struck. Kotaro had evaded the attack and was pushing Rinkah's buttons.

"My, my… but petulant children DO have such volatile emotions…" he taunted, stirring the infuriated Flame Tribe princess up further. "I expected a challenge before I knifed you, but it seems I won't get my wish today…"

Rinkah looked down and found a knife lodged in her chest, where she staggered back.

"You… killed… him…" Rinkah ripped the knife out of her flesh and threw it, following up with powerful streams of red-hot flame. "I'LL EVISCERATE YOU!"

"Are you implying that you think I killed your father?" he laughed, throwing shuriken at Rinkah to keep her from getting too close, "because I did no such thing. Apparently our dear Exalted One saved that stunt for one of her lesser whelps."

Rinkah's pain tolerance was immense, but after taking a few more hits from the strong and swift Kotaro, she sunk to her knees, about ready to accept her fate.

"I did not have the honor of slaying or even meeting Rinkah Nayeli the First," he taunted, "but I suppose you'll meet mom and pop soon enough."

"Fuck off…" Rinkah growled. Kotaro simply chuckled.

"Kotaro of Mokushu…" a deep, threatening voice cut off any further monologuing Kotaro was about to do, "you answer to me."

Rinkah and Kotaro cocked their heads towards the source of the voice, only to see Saizo armed with a large shuriken and glaring right at Kotaro.

"I answer to no one!" Kotaro bragged, "Who are you to suggest otherwise, whelp?"

"I am Saizo Kirikagure the Fifth, servant to the Hoshidan royal family," Saizo continued, "And a princess of Hoshido's ally is as important as a princess to our kingdom. Lay another finger on her and I'll be here to ensure your death."

"Saizo, hmm?" Kotaro smirked, "that's familiar. I believe I've murdered others of your pitiful lineage—an honour I'm sure. I didn't even get to bother with this whelp's family line…"

"How dare you!" Saizo growled, "My father was an honourable man!" He was just as prone to bursts of anger as Rinkah, although he would not admit it.

"Honourable?" Kotaro chuckled, "perhaps. Weak? Absolutely. That balding old fool had the audacity to lecture ME! So naturally, I shut him up the good old-fashioned way—permanently."

"Coward!" Saizo roared, "I knew you were the one responsible for his death!"

"Bwahahah!" Kotaro cackled, "now isn't THIS a stroke of luck? To fell both father and son with the same blade! This will be poetic. Maybe the Dusk Dragon will even write a book about it someday!" He brandished his katana.

"Huh," Saizo grunted as he whipped out a shuriken, "Guess I'll have to rewrite your little poem…"

"Oh, please," Kotaro deflected Saizo's first shot, "if you're anything like your blathering old father you won't even land a single blow!"

Gloating in this fashion seemed to be just as much part of Kotaro's arsenal as his swordplay. Saizo had to (mentally) admit that he made for a formidable opponent, but he did not let his guard down, and instead bided his time by playing evasively and waiting for Kotaro's arrogance to undo him.

"So far you haven't even touched me, boy!" he jeered as he landed a slash against Saizo's arm; this was the 5th time Saizo had taken a hit, but none of them had been very heavy attacks (and none in vital areas), and so he was far from being thrown out of commission. Instead of responding, Saizo saw his opening. He sent one of his final throwing stars right at Kotaro's throat, hitting it with deadly accuracy. Kotaro staggered and started choking on his own blood as he fell to his knees and stared up at Saizo.

"How's that?" Saizo taunted while keeping his stoic tone. "Did I land a single blow?"

With his throat cut, Kotaro couldn't exactly respond apart from coughing and gurgling, and a few moments later, he was dead.

"Hmph," he muttered. "Fitting. Father, you are avenged."

HIs attention shifted briefly to the ensuing battle behind them, where Reina and Kamui in particular were wreaking havoc, with Sakura and Takumi appearing in multiple places at once to beat the Mokushujin at their own game. Perhaps seeing their leader get cut down had decimated their morale.

He turned to Rinkah and took her hand, pulling her up.

"On your feet, Nayeli." he muttered, letting her lean against him for support, "He's gone, and this battle is over."

Saizo was not overly prophetic, but he was right on this account. Kotaro had fallen, and Mokushu was defeated. Even now, most of his men began throwing their weapons down and surrendering. Those that didn't were not shown mercy, but all in all, Corrin saw this as a victory.


	62. Chapter 62: The Warmth of Home

**AUTHOR'S NOTES:** _A few hours late from my desired schedule, but some things can't be helped. This is an interlude chapter of sorts as we bring Kagero back to New Kamui, and Kamui puts in a tavern. Not that that's really a surprise or anything though. Either way, here's chapter 62. The relationship between Kamui and Takumi gets touched a bit more here, and we recruit a few more characters for the cause. On that note, I only realized now that I left out Takumi's little blurb on chapter 56 when he was recruited, and so if anyone's concerned they can go check out the revised edition where his name, bio, class, and age are now on full display.  
Happy Reading!_

 **CHAPTER 62: The Warmth of Home  
**

 _Sing with me a song of Safety and Fear…_

The after-battle cleanup did not take as long as the group had thought. A few individuals, such as Kamui and Rinkah, were particularly wounded, but that was commonplace for them and they usually just bit the bullet and dealt with it as the healers arrived. Reina was also covered in a great deal of blood, although very little of it appeared to be her own.

"Final count… 22." Hana wiped a bit of blood off her forehead as she stood proudly before Hinata, "that puts me at 64."

"Ha! I got… wait." Hinata scratched his head, "aww, shoot! 18 only puts me at 61. Looks like we're still pretty neck-in-neck though. Wanna exchange tips tonight at New Kamui?"

"I might just take you up on that," Hana smirked.

Felicia and Jakob helped tend to most of the wounded, although Sakura was nowhere to be seen. Just as Corrin was about to send out a search for her, he heard her voice.

"Lord Corrin!" she called out from near where Kotaro's fort had been, "I've found Kagero!"

He took off towards her voice, with Saizo and Takumi tailing him. While all of them were appalled by her mistreatment, they were relieved when she said that she was okay.

"Obviously I've been better," she pointed out as Sakura finished removing her bonds, "but this is nothing I can't recover from."

"How long have you been captured?" Corrin asked, "we had someone impersonating you on the Hoshidan Plains, and everything after that… well…

"Everything went to shit." Kamui finished for him, "Takumi nearly killed Sakura before we saved him, and everyone else is still at large. Hoshido, Nohr, it's a damn mess."

"Oh you had to bring that up," Takumi hit Kamui's arm.

"I didn't mean it like that…" Kamui apologized, "Just… I mean… sorry."

"She's right though," Takumi nodded as he turned to Kagero, "I don't assume you have any recent knowledge about Ryoma or Hinoka, do you?"

"None," Kagero shook her head, "that you already likely don't know. I do know how to track Lord Ryoma though—but I can't get too close. There's something about his presence that strikes alarm in me. It's like… I lose myself. I lose control of who I am."

"Hey! I know that feeling!" Hinata exclaimed, "Back when Lord Takumi was still under that weird red-eyed spell or whatever it's called, I felt compelled to follow him, even if there was a part of me that knew it was wrong. That… I mean, does that kind of make sense?"

"The feeling of your body not being your own… that someone has invaded your mind…" Kamui and Takumi gasped as they spoke these words nearly simultaneously.

"So that's what has Lord Ryoma and Lady Hinoka under their grasp," Kagero exclaimed. "Things have gotten worse than I thought then."

"Did the Mokushujin share anything in that regard?" Saizo asked, "whether intentionally or otherwise?"

"Funny enough, they did," Kagero stretched again to ease her sore muscles. It was here that Kamui realized that perhaps Camilla had some serious competition in the figure department. "Kotaro was never a very subtle man when it comes to keeping secrets. Fortunately I was able to convince him that I held no secrets about my lord that would be of any worth to Kotaro."

She paused as she laid eyes on a familiar face behind them "Ahh… I think I know just the person that can get you the information you want about Lord Ryoma."

"Who, me?" heads turned to see a giggling Orochi behind them, "A pleasure to see you again, Kagero, by the way."

"Were that it were under better circumstances," Kagero shook her head, "but I believe you know what I refer to here, Orochi. I overheard talk regarding a clash between Hoshido and Nohr in Cheve. Is there anything you can tell us about that?"

"I'll need a minute," Orochi pulled out an odd deck of cards, "but I can tell you what you—well, what we—need to know."

"Kaze," Corrin ordered, "ensure that everyone is accounted for and return to me when you finish. Our work here is nearly done."

"Very well," Kaze vanished in a cloud of smoke, and for a moment there was silence as they watched Orochi work. She muttered a few things under her breath, and some of her cards erupted into flames. A few moments later, she gasped.

"Lord Ryoma is en route to Cheve to put down a rebellion there," she warned.

"Cheve?!" Saizo growled, "With Hoshido's situation so delicate, why does he spread us further? Does this madman who controls him really seek to destroy this kingdom from the inside out?"

"The Chevois have prepared for open rebellion against their Nohrian oppressors," Orochi warned, "They are being led by a girl named Scar… oh goodness…"

"What!?" Corrin and at least four different others around him exclaimed all at once.

"Scarlet," orochi cleared her throat. "Pardon me. No… that's not what's worrying me though. The Nohrians are sending a resistance force to put down that same rebellion."

"How big a force are we talking about here?" Kamui looked curious, "I know what Nohrians are capable of, and a lot of it really depends on who they send."

"They're pulling out all the stops," Orochi exclaimed, "They've sent Princess Camilla."

There was drop-dead silence as a few eyes went towards Kamui, who muttered a long, dragged out "shiiiiiiiiit..."

"By my reckoning…" Orochi put two of the last three cards back into her pocket as the third one disintegrated in a whisp of blue smoke, "if we can reach them within 4 days we will be able to meet them in Cheve before they clash with the Hoshidans. Either way, it's going to be messy."

"Jakob, Silas, Gunter, Felicia!" Kamui ordered, "We return to New Kamui at once."

"Understood," Silas nodded as he rounded up the others.

"Zenzi," Corrin glanced around and saw her, "find Roku and let's get the others. Kamui has the right idea."

"New Kamui?" Kagero tilted her head.

"I'll explain it when we get there," Corrin promised, "It's… a little complicated."

"'Twas you and your army that liberated me, Lord Corrin," Kagero conceded, "I trust your judgment. Lead on!"

A long set of explanations later, and son Saizo, Reina, Orochi, and Kagero were all settled in and part of the group. The evening was a little tense due to Orochi's revelations, but she was hardly ostracized for them—for they were hardly her fault. Kamui ended up using the local dragon veins to build a tavern, much to Corrin's displeasure.

"Is this truly necessary, sister?" He asked.

"It's either that or I continue to trash the mess hall," Kamui retorted, "besides, Oboro was totally up for this idea, and so was Rinkah and Orochi."

"Fine," Corrin shook his head, "I admit I'm biased because I can't understand how anyone, especially not my twin sister, can drink that stuff."

"Well, the Flame Tribe stuff kills any nerves in your throat, so after about two tankards you stop feeling it," Kamui explained.

"I think what has me rolling my eyes the most is the name." Corrin eyed the front of the new building, where the name "The Drunken Princess" was emblazoned in golden letters."

"It's fitting though, yeah?" Kamui quipped, "I wish I could say I made it up myself without that claim being a lie. Alas, it was Oboro's idea."

"Just… try to drink at least somewhat responsibly." Corrin requested.

"After tonight I'm going to need a few drinks to get my mind off of that upcoming battle in Cheve," Kamui pointed out. "Stay safe, brother."

Incidentally, it was only after a few drinks that Takumi approached Kamui at the bar (though he himself just ordered a water).

"Hey," Kamui noticed his look of discontent. "Sorry about what I said earlier." She shrugged.

"I… figured I knew what you meant," Takumi sighed, "But I'm curious. Sakura wasn't possessed, but you were. I want to know how that felt."

"Why?" Kamui tilted her head, "I mean, it was really shitty and looking back it's one of my biggest regrets. You're not still harboring a grudge or anything from me being taken to Nohr, are you?"

"It's more complicated than that," Takumi asserted, "I thought you of all people would realize that scars don't exactly heal over even years later. I'm suspicious of everyone here."

"Well that's an easy fix," Kamui waved her hand almost dismissively, "just have a drink. It might loosen you up. Or are you a lightweight like my brother?"

"I made the mistake of trying alcohol once," Takumi shook his head, "no-go. C'mon, Kamui. Try to stay focused here."

"I'm still listening," Kamui pointed out, "I listen better the less sober I am. I'm honestly not trying to make light of your problems and concerns. It just sounds like there's something you're trying to not tell me."

Takumi glanced around. Rinkah, was who manning the bar, was off in the back, and the only other people there at the moment were Orochi and Kagero playing cards at a nearby table out of earshot, and Gunter sipping a beverage in the corner. Fortunately for him, Hana and Hinata came in a moment later and started laughing as they talked about fighting moves, which in turn gave the Hoshidan prince the cover he wanted.

"Tell anyone this and you're going down," he warned, "but fine. I'm worried."

"Worried about what?" Kamui tilted her head.

"The things that voice told me…" Takumi muttered, "the things it tried to put into my head. It wasn't just me trying to fight back against Sakura that day, Kamui. That thing… that monster… convinced me that Sakura didn't care. It convinced me that Sakura was my enemy; that she viewed me as a miserable failure and a weak-minded fool just as my other siblings did."

"That's nonsense though," Kamui shook her head, "I mean yeah; I've only known you guys for a couple weeks, but none of them gave off that vibe at all—especially not Sakura. She's probably literally the last person in the world that could hate anyone."

She froze. "Oh…"

"Ohhhh….." Takumi did not respond, but his expression changed as he watched the terrifying realization come over Kamui.

"No, you're… you're absolutely right." she continued, "Whatever that thing is doing to us, it's preying on our fears."

"So what's yours?" Takumi elbowed her despite the grim expression on his face, "I told you mine, so it's only fair."

"Power…" Kamui sighed. "Control. What you might lack in confidence due to the skill of Ryoma and Hinoka, or the stability and raw power of Sakura… you make up for in control remarkably well—at least compared to me. You've seen me on the battlefield, and it's part of why I'm a berserker. I rush in without thinking. I don't really need to."

"So you fear losing yourself on a destructive rampage…" Takumi frowned.

"I still can't fully control that dragon form you saw me in at mother's death," Kamui confessed. "The idea that something could possess me again and send me on another crazed rampage terrifies me—especially being surrounded with so many people that I care about."

"Then it looks like we've both got work to do." Takumi gave a hollow laugh, "Stay alert, Kamui. Don't get too drunk now, ya hear?"

"We're safe here; that much is certain." Kamui assured him. "And I'll be damned if anyone is about to prove me wrong…"

New Kamui was well-fortified and well-protected, even without considering how many powerful people now resided in its walls. Despite these reassuring facts, however, Kamui could not shake the fact that there was still something wrong with the place.

Something very, very wrong...

* * *

 **CHARACTERS RECRUITED:**

 **Saizo:** _A Hoshidan ninja who serves Ryoma and is the fifth to carry the Saizo name, an honor he takes unwaveringly seriously. He has a younger twin brother, Kaze, who is much calmer in contrast to Saizo who is much brash and temperamental. A curt and taciturn man, he is unfailingly loyal to his liege, to the point where he would lay down his life without hesitation if necessary. Dislikes sweets more than anyone. Born on 2 October (Age 23)_  
 _Class: Master Ninja_

 **Reina:** _A Hoshidan knight who served Mikoto. She is mature, gentle, and elegant, but has an unnerving obsession with death and the causing thereof, which earned her the title "The She-Devil of Hoshido" by friends and foes alike. She is responsible for Gunter's scar, and he for hers. Her older age has granted her wisdom, which she is happy to share over a strong drink or a game of cards. The best listener in the army. Born on 17 November (Age 44)_  
 _Classes: Kinshi Knight/Spear Master_

 **Orochi:** _A Hoshidan diviner who served Mikoto like her parents before her. Despite their not always pleasant (albeit usually true) fortunes, Mikoto welcomed and respected them. She has a cheerful, playful personality, and is not afraid to tease others or offer them a friendly competition. Despite her appearance, she is also a competent, resilient, and boisterous drinker, and has won many a challenge in that regard. Laughs more than anyone in the army. Born on 19 June (Age 26)_  
 _Class: Onmyoji_

 **Kagero:** _A ninja from Hoshido and Ryoma's retainer. She is serious and loyal to a fault, leaving her very little time to herself. She has been best friends with Orochi since childhood. She remains calm, cool, and collected at nearly all times, and while she is not exactly skilled at it, she keeps a diary illustrated with her own paintings. She also enjoys writing, and actually has some proficiency in this department. The best at keeping a secret. Born on 26 July (Age 21)_  
 _Class: Master Ninja_


	63. Chapter 63: Elegant but Cruel

**AUTHOR'S NOTES:** _I reckon that it seemed pretty obvious that this chapter was going to be an "Invasion" chapter. Surprisingly, it's actually not. Instead it's a glimpse into the state of things in Nohr, particularly surrounding Flora, Camilla, Iago, and surprisingly, Peri. I've gone and taken a few creative liberties with the latter two in particular, for better or for worse, so I guess I'll cut the rambling short. Here's the 63rd chapter.  
Happy Reading!_

 **CHAPTER 63: Elegant but Cruel**

 _Sing with me a song of Things yet to Come…_

 _=Castle Krakenburg, a few days earlier…=_

While It was known among Corrin's army that Hoshido was in relative chaos after that fateful day when Zola had sabotaged what might have been a peaceful conclusion to the war between the two countries, the lack of Nohrians apart from Kamui and her retainers meant that very little information from the dark kingdom was available to them at the time.

It was not so chaotic as Hoshido. While Ryoma, Hinoka, Takumi, and Sakura had all gone different directions after the incident, the Nohrians had retreated, with Garon becoming increasingly protective and possessive of them. The only exception had been Kamui, who had relentlessly pursued Corrin and gotten lost in Valla in the process.

While it appeared that business was going on as usual in the castle, in truth, Garon kept his children close because it was how he kept a watchful eye on them. Similarly, the four siblings kept close watches on their retainers, keeping all of them influenced by the same spell that their lieges were under.

In truth, it made Oboro's premature escape that much more miraculous (and that was a story in and of itself), but unfortunately for those who served the Nohrian royalty, "escape" was much less a reality. Only one woman stayed sane in all of this, and it seemed that many in the castle were onto her.

"Well, well…" A pink-and-blue-haired girl with said hair done in two wild pigtails appeared in the same hallway Flora was walking back down. "Look who's being all quiet and dreary today. You shouldn't be such a bore when there's excitement to be had."

"How may I serve, Peri?" Flora sighed, eyeing the woman's left hand, where she was playing with a knife in a dangerously haphazard motion.

"Oh, well if Peri had her way she'd use you as a training target. Slash, slash, slash goes the knife, and Flora's clothes are shreds! And if dear Peri misses… then Flora would be deads!"

Flora nearly jumped as Peri swung her knife with deadly precision, bringing its point mere millimeters away from the underside of Flora's chin. One deft twirl of the blade later and it was back in its scabbard on Peri's right hip, Flora's skin thankfully unharmed.

"But sadly, Peri is not in charge," she continued, "she was sent to inform you that your presence is requested by His Majesty, King Garon."

"I don't imagine anyone spoke of the purpose of this meeting?" Flora asked.

"No one would tell Peri anything!" Peri pouted, "But it's better not to question the King's motives. That's how people die, and they don't even do it the fun way!"

"Right then," Flora nodded and made her way to Garon's throne room.

Peri was a character. On one hand she was extremely volatile and dangerous, but on the other hand, Flora was familiar with those knife tricks of hers. Despite that, it was still rather shocking when she pulled knives on people, but overall, Peri's dexterity, talent, and precision with blades was incredible. Her actions were more for shock value these days rather than harming anyone. That was what her "official" reputation said anyways.

Whatever the case, Flora had a gut feeling she knew what Garon wanted with her, and it had to do with the whispers buzzing around the castle about a rebellion in Cheve.

Flora made her presence known and was invited into Garon's throne room, which was dark and magnificent, and deserted apart from the king himself.

"Your majesty," Flora respectfully bowed, and awaited the king to speak. For a moment Garon was silent, the tension nearly melting Flora's cold facade she had set up to hide her fears from this frightening man.

"Flora," he spoke sternly, as he always did, "Tell me. How important is the Ice Tribe and its people to you?"

"They're my family;" Flora replied, "my people. My loyalty to them is only behind my loyalty t the Kingdom of Nohr." The last statement was the only one that was a lie.

"Then you understand the importance of this next mission," Garon smirked, "You are to accompany Princess Camilla on her journey to Cheve to help put down the rebellion."

"As you wish, your highness," Flora bowed; "Although, if I may inquire?"

"Make it short," Garon warned.

"What does Cheve have to do with the Ice Tribe? Is there collusion between the two?"

"No. But should you fail in this mission…" Garon paused, perhaps for little more than dramatic effect, "then the division I have stationed nearby will stop at nothing to raze the entire tribe to the ground. Your loyalty to this cause must be absolute."

"I…" Flora gulped. "I understand. Thank you, your highness."

Garon dismissed Flora, who was told to wait for orders from Camilla before they departed. He summoned Camilla to his throne a moment later.

"You know what must be done, princess." Garon ordered. "Slay anything or anyone that gets in your way. Intercept the Hoshidans before they arrive."

"It shall be done, Father," Camilla licked her lips, her glowing red eyes flickering hungrily for a moment.

"Elegance… cruelty…" Garon smirked, before brandishing Bolverk, "A weapon fitting for a woman of that calibur. Take it, Camilla—and use it well."

"Oh, my…" Camilla purred as she ran a hand along the blade of the axe as she took it in her other hand. "But of course, Father dear. I will lay ruin to our enemies with this axe and dedicate each brutal death in your name."

While she seemed enthusiastic to be under whatever spell afflicted her, once she was out of the throne room and down a corridor on her own, that she was conflicted.

" _What NERVE…"_ her mind was surging, _"To try and force me to kill my darling Kamui and her friends. I still don't know who you are, but you are putting me in a MOOD. And you even have to subject my poor darling retainers to it, no less."_

Almost as if there was in fact someone occupying her mind, Camilla was pretty sure she heard a voice in her head give her an unpleasant reply.

" _One does not simply escape this binding, Camilla Kumenacht…"_

Camilla's grip tightened around Bolverk's handle, and in a burst of fury, she sent it blade-first into the now-shattered stone floor beneath her feet.

"My, my…" a voice spoke up, snapping Camilla out of her own thoughts, where she was still not fully sure if the voice she kept hearing was real or not. She jerked her head towards the direction of the voice and saw Iago leaning against the wall, twirling a coin between his fingers. "Is the lovely princess not well today?"

"Maybe it's just my princess senses tingling," Camilla retorted, "but I think you and I both know exactly what's wrong, and you're deliberately not doing anything to stop it."

"Oh dear," Iago feigned a hurt expression, "and here I thought my favourite niece was finally starting to like me."

"You're as awful as she is, and you know it." Camilla frowned. "What's in it for you? Did this Exalted One promise you a part of the power and the glory? I'd think that for someone who knows her nearly as well as I do that she does not share power…"

"My, my…" Iago gave a grin from behind his mask, "getting a bit ahead of ourselves are we? Lady Camilla dear, I thought you knew your favourite uncle better than this. Sure, I might be a schemer. I may have had nothing on my sister, who managed to get into King Garon's good graces before having you, but…" he paused, taking on a scared expression and raising the pitch of his voice several semitones, "you don't think c-c-cowardly little I-Iago… could have done all this, could you?" His voice returned to normal.

"Darling, you give me far too much credit. I am merely here to serve King Garon—just as he hired me on to. Just because you think I know the Exalted One very intimately does not make it so…"

"Then why is my father sending me to go and slaughter my favourite sister?" Camilla demanded, "You seem to know far more about that than you should."

"Camilla dear," Iago leaned back against the wall, even going as far as crossing his legs at the ankle, "are you not aware that Hoshido and Nohr are at war? She has sided with the Hoshidans, including three members of the royal family. They are moving through Hoshido and heading west towards Nohr. Is it not enough that we send our strongest vanguard to meet them to protect our own fine country?"

Camilla stammered, her eyes flickering again.

"As much as someone like me would love being this 'Exalted One' you keep speaking fantasies of," Iago cooed, "that is giving me far too much credit, Camilla, darling. I tell King Garon what he wishes to hear, and I carry out his orders—not the other way around."

"As one of your superiors, I order you to tell me what you know about the Exalted One then," Camilla demanded.

"Once again, dear, you give me far too much credit," Iago smirked, "All I know is that King Garon seems to know her well, and that he trusts her. Either you will have to ask him or find out yourself… you certainly don't need my permission."

Camilla did not respond right away to this remark.

"Although if I recall correctly, his majesty did give you orders to begin mobilizing, did he not?" Iago reminded her with another of his devious smirks.

"Right then." Camilla snarled, and walked off, a slight stomp in her step. Whether the Exalted One had gotten her grip back on Camilla's mind or if she had simply conceded (the former seemed far more likely), Camilla went to find her retainers. They had already geared up and were ready to go.

"Where to, Lady Camilla?" Arozza was the first one to speak.

"We move to Cheve," she began, "And from there take to the seas to prevent Prince Corrin and his armies from reaching their destination alive."

Brief discomforted expressions spread across Arozza and Selena's faces (Beruka was not one for making much of expressions at all). Prior to the chaotic events at the Hoshidan Plains, Camilla's retainers had caught glimpses of the Hoshidan retainers, and among them were Corrin's two retainers, Roku and Zenzi. For Selena this was worrisome because even if that man was from a different timeline, Roku was still her father. For Arozza, it was more knowing that Roku and Zenzi, two of the only remaining friends she had from her own timeline, were about to appear as enemies on the battlefield for her.

They met up with Flora and began their move out, reaching Cheve with little event. The place was on the brink of rebellion, but after a few brief (some might even say vulgar) displays of power from Camilla, Selena, Arozza, and Beruka, the rebels were a bit more cautious. Nohrian scouts and spies were sent out to track the enemies to the best of their ability, and so at this point, it was just a matter of playing the waiting game. When Corrin and his army drew near enough, they would be out there to meet them—and to intercept them.

* * *

 _ **AFTERTHOUGHTS:** So yes, in this story Iago is Camilla's uncle, related to her through being the (younger) brother to Camilla's mother, whose name will be revealed in time. He's got much more of a motive and backstory in this one than being a mere ass-kisser, and while he might still lose his cool if things aren't going his way, it's going to take much, much more to outsmart him this time around. Nohrian politics are dangerous matters, as Camilla rightly knows. Odds are he's probably lying to Camilla, on that note, but Camilla, like all of the Nohrian siblings as well as the two eldest Hoshidan siblings, aren't fully themselves right now as you've probably figured.  
Then there's Peri. Always a fairly polarizing figure it seems, with people either loving her or loathing her. The inspiration for her habit of referring to herself in 3rd-person came mainly from the Japanese version of the game, so while it might irritate some people, it's here to stay, much like Mozu's country accent. Similar to Iago, I took some creative liberties with Peri's backstory and motives/morality, but we'll see much more of that when she's properly introduced and joins Corrin's army. Either way, feel free to let me know what you think of any of these characters. There's a lot going on in Castle Krakenburg, so don't be too concerned if it doesn't all make sense at this point. Thanks for reading!_


	64. Chapter 64: Invulnerable No Longer

**AUTHOR'S NOTES _:_** _A few hours later than I had expected, but this might be the chapter people expected in place of the last one. Obviously given the nature of the game which this story is based off of, invasions would be a thing. So really, it was only a matter of time before one finally hit, and it hits in this chapter. On the plus side, this means that night watches are going to become a thing, which in turn means that on those nights where nothing happens (they aren't going to get attacked every night now), it might give chances for plenty of characters to interact with one another, and who knows what might happen when a man and a woman meet under a moonlit sky. On that note, suggestions so for which characters you'd like to see more of are always welcome. I know that Azura's going to appear in the next chapter, but she's not the only one._ _  
Happy Reading!_

 **CHAPTER 64: Invulnerable No Longer**

 _Sing with me a song of Solace and Fears…_

Nights in New Kamui were fairly quiet, with the general exception of people like Rinkah and Zenzi who often danced under the moonlight; or people like Kamui and Oboro who bantered late into the evening while getting inebriated. Kagero joined them a few times, usually discussing things about Kamui's new book with her, though she clearly couldn't handle liquor with the same proficiency that Oboro and Kamui could.

"So tell me," Kamui did in fact care about the opinions of others when it came to the style and hospitality of her castle and ground, which bore her name and thus in her eyes had to meet certain standards, "how do you like it here?"

"The Hoshidan themes are a very interesting touch," Kagero admitted, "and I'll admit that it surprises me slightly, coming from you."

"And why's that?" Kamui took another long draught.

"Unless you've changed phenomenally since the last time we saw each other in Shirasagi when I helped you publish _Dancers and Diviners_ , you still seemed very attached to Nohr."

"I am," Kamui confessed, "but most of the people here are Hoshidan, and I figured I'd give my brother a taste of home. Besides, Oboro would probably lose her shit if it was Nohrian."

"Bite me," Oboro punched Kamui's arm.

"It's nice though," Kagero smiled, "especially now that I'm aware of its more selfless intentions. Keep up the good work, Lady Kamui."

The three women bantered a little longer before Kagero decided to go to bed. Kamui was easily drunk again, while Oboro was pleasantly buzzed.

"This is a nice time of night, I admit," Oboro glanced around warily, "I guess it helps to have someone I can vent to."

"Sakura does good like that," Kamui chuckled, popping open another beer, "so does Zenzi. Ever talked to her much?"

"On occasion, yeah," Oboro shrugged, snatching Kamui's beer and taking a shot.

Outside the castle, things were quiet. Rinkah and Zenzi had stopped dancing, and were instead perched upon the walls, gazing out into the vast abyss of fields and forests surrounding New Kamui as they dangled their bare feet over the walls.

"Makes you wonder what's out there, doesn't it?" Rinkah turned to her pink-haired dancing partner. "I still don't get all this Astral Plane nonsense, but it's interesting to think about."

"A lot of things are interesting to think about," Zenzi nodded in agreement, "introspection itself is a wonderful thing if you ask me."

"You've definitely grown more confident," Rinkah chuckled, "at least around me anyways. I can't say I expected shy little Zenzi to warm up to an abrasive ass like me."

"I think you're too hard on yourself," Zenzi asserted.

"Well, there's that whole issue with what Kotaro said," Rinkah admitted, "he lies about as easily as he tells the truth, and Saizo offed him before we could get it out of him. I can't really blame him though. I'd have done the same if I were in fighting condition at the time."

"You mean about your father?" Zenzi wanted to clarify,

"Aye, that," Rinkah sighed. "Did he really kill my father the chief too? I have no way of knowing right now and that's driving me crazy. I try not to think about it. Maybe I should get drunk or some—" she froze. She squinted at the fields, noticing a disruption in the normal ebb and flow of the grass, which normally looked like waves from the breeze.

"Zenzi," she whispered, pointing to the area in question, where sure enough, another disruption in the waves appeared. "Do you see that?"

"What do you suppose that is?" Zenzi looked uneasy now.

"SHOW YOURSELF!" Rinkah bellowed, but naturally, nothing did. Whatever it was though, it was getting closer.

"I… I think there's more than one of them!" Zenzi warned, pointing to another disruption in the grass. Rinkah wasted no time trying to reveal these perpetrators. She jumped up, launching a powerful fireball from her hands with deadly precision. It struck the field—or it should have, but instead, there was now a smoky humanoid form that suddenly broke into a run towards the castle walls—which had never needed gates until now.

"Fuck," Rinkah swore, "why can't someone Dragon Vein us up a gong or something. WE'RE UNDER ATTACK!" she bellowed, shooting a powerful burst of flame into the air, hoping someone at the castle would see it.

"A-and we're unarmed!" Zenzi trembled. Neither of them needed weapons for their dances, after all, and considering how peaceful New Kamui had been up until this point, they didn't think they'd have to watch their backs from the safety of the Astral Plane.

They were wrong.

Kamui gave pause as she noticed the flickering lights through one of the windows.

"What in blazes…" she looked out the window and saw Rinkah throwing fireballs like a madwoman, with Zenzi at her back. She seemed to be trying to make her way towards the armory, but it was unclear what she was throwing fireballs at. Zenzi noticed her through the window and screamed.

"INVISIBLE SOLDIERS!" she cried. as absurd as that might have sounded to most people, Kamui and the army were well-acquainted with these demons. Kamui sprang up, beer bottles in both hands. Oboro was at her side as well, spear clutched tightly.

"Dammit," Kamui swore, "damn, damn, dammit, damn, dammit."

She stamped her foot and brought up an enormous gong, which she began striking multiple times, waking up the inhabitants of the castle. Sure enough, soon Corrin and most of the rest of the army were coming out the gates, groans aplenty as they tried to get an idea of what they were seeing.

Kamui, Oboro, Rinkah, and Zenzi were fighting unseen foes, but a keen eye saw purple flickers here and there, and the fact that buildings seemed to be randomly crumbling was a sign that they were most definitely under attack.

"TO ARMS!" Corrin shouted, "slay anything and everything that moves, and keep your wits about you. Anyone who can, seize as many weapons as you can get from the castle. This is not a joke. This is a full-on invasion!"

It was hard to tell just how many Vallite Soldiers there were, but there were at least several dozen of these invisible marauders, and they seemed to be destroying anything that crossed their paths.

"Oh no you don't," Kamui noticed flickering purple flames approaching her tavern. "No one gets to destroy The Drunken Princess except me!"

It was almost as if she had adapted a "drunken master" style fighting, dual-wielding the bottles in her hands like swords. She was clearly very inebriated considering her erratic movements, but she was avoiding getting hit as if by some miracle.

Corrin was one of the first to mobilize considering that he wore his dragonstone around his neck like a necklace. Kaze, Kagero, Saizo, and Felicia were mobilized next: the former three due to their ninja training, and Felicia more because of her inherent ice powers which acted similar to the flame powers Rinkah possessed. Corrin rampaged through the invisible ranks with impunity, viciously attacking anything that moved or flickered. He gave pause only for a moment (and took an arrow for it, but managed to shrug it off) as he noticed a blue stone around Kamui's neck.

"Sister…" he called out.

'Sup, boss?" Kamui belched as she broke one of her bottles over an invisible mage's head, and promptly smashed the other against a berserker.

"Do you not realize that you are a FREAKING DRAGON!?"

"Damn right I am!" Kamui slammed the face of a samurai between both of her broken bottles, using the remaining shard to slice its throat before balling her fists. "Best damn dragon in all of Ferevs, right here!"

"Then maybe try… TURNING INTO ONE!?" Corrin was flabbergasted both at his sister's fighting style, and more that she used her dragon form much less than he did. He would have thought that mindless rampaging was what Kamui did best.

"Oh huh," Kamui glanced at the stone around her neck as she literally shrugged off an attack from a spear and an axe, "welp, here goes!" she clutched the stone and transformed, only to see Oboro throw a spear into the air, jump after it, and plunge it into the skull of an invisible assailant that had lunged through the air to try and plunge his sword into Kamui's dragon-skull.

"And I'm going to hide all your fucking booze if you keep being this careless, Lady Kamui!" she shouted as she landed with remarkable grace for a buzzed woman.

"Well we can't be having that," Kamui replied, "Come; jump on my back and we shall destroy these monsters together!"

To her sight surprise, Oboro complied, and the ensuing scene was nothing short of glorious. Kamui rampaged through the ranks of enemy soldiers like a runaway boulder mowing down saplings on a mountainside, with Oboro using her lengthy naginata to slash or stab at any that Kamui might have missed. With the help of the others, they made fairly quick work of most of the remaining army, but in her typical theatrical style, Kamui decided to end this with a bang.

Corrin was among many people who briefly gasped in awe as Oboro smashed through a wall on the back of a fire-breathing Dusk Dragon, her heavy spear raised high as she let out a battle roar. Kamui came down and hit the ground with such force that it actually cracked, and the unfortunate Vallites that had been standing there moments earlier were now little more than smashed remnants beneath her feet. This whole scene was topped off with Oboro doing a surprisingly graceful flip right as Kamui transformed back into her humanoid form, where Oboro landed gracefully with her back to the purple-haired dragon.

"Not gonna lie," Rinkah pointed with slightly wide eyes, "but that was pretty damn cool."

"I… won't argue that," Corrin rubbed his eyes to make sure he wasn't just seeing things. Fortunately, it seemed that they were able to repel the invasion, even if half their army hadn't even mobilized. Still, it was clear that Kamui was very uncomfortable with the entire situation, and she was quickly joined by Zenzi, Oboro, and Rinkah, all of whom had been there when the first soldiers had shown up.

"This is bad, brother," Kamui took Corrin by the shoulders, "Up until now I had always suspected that New Kamui was a safe harbour from the troubles of the world—or the world we're aiming to go up against. This… this shakes me."

"Does this mean no more drinking at night?" Corrin couldn't help but quip.

"Now, now;" Kamui shook her head, "let's not get too extreme here, brother. But we're going to need nightly watches after this. I can volunteer if we need people, but I don't want to put anyone at risk like that."

"I'll announce it to people tomorrow," Corrin promised. "In the meantime, get some sleep, sister. I doubt I'll be sleeping much at this point."

Incidentally, Kamui took his advice, and she, Oboro, Zenzi, and Rinkah all returned with most of the rest of the army to the castle to get some sleep. Saizo, and Kaze reported the damage to Corrin, with Saizo giving the rundown of the castle grounds and their conditions, and Kaze giving the casualty report.

"No injuries; no casualties," he said with a smile. "While it clearly caught most of us off-guard, we did well tonight, milord. Saizo and I will do a few more rounds to ensure that the force we dealt with was not just a vanguard, and we will work on further security measures as necessary."

"Thanks, Kaze," Corrin sighed as he gazed towards one of the gates. It seems now they knew what lurked beyond the borders, and it worried him just as it worried Kamui. If anything, it worried him more now that he knew that even his reckless and fearless sister was afraid. There would undoubtedly be a great deal of work and change around the grounds the following morning, and not just in terms of making repairs to all the walls and buildings the Vallites had damaged and destroyed. No, tomorrow would inevitably be an interesting day.


	65. Chapter 65: Friendship Advice

**AUTHOR'S NOTES:** _Slightly late, but life stuff happened (still kind of happening, but don't worry about me). Corrin does have an existing relationship with Kagero, but it's the same way that Kamui and Silas do (both in this story and in the actual game), insomuch that they're childhood friends of a sort. Whether it blossoms into a romance or if they remain platonic best friends remains to be seen as the story progresses, and sop this is in no ways confirming Corrin/Kagero any more than his conversation with Azura at the beginning of the chapter would confirm Corrin/Azura. Also, if anyone's interested, feel free to vote in the poll on my profile, to decide if you want to see what "Dancers and Diviners" is all about, or if you'd rather I leave it to the readers' imagination._  
 _Happy reading!_

 **CHAPTER 65: Friendship Advice**

True to his premonition, Corrin did not sleep much, but instead gazed out into the distant fields and horizons outside of New Kamui, his bare feet dangling from the wall much like Zenzi and Rinkah's had been before they noticed the invaders. Fortunately for him, he did not see any invisible soldiers lurking about, for none were in the area now. Incidentally, the first person that crossed paths with him was Azura, who was humming as she tiptoed across the walls, almost as if she was oblivious to everything that had just happened earlier that evening.

"Your eyes hang and your mind is clearly heavy," she whispered as she sat next to him, "What's on your mind, Corrin?"

"Everything," Corrin clutched his head, "This invasion shook everything, and not just the damage the attackers did. I thought we were safe here too. It's got Kamui afraid-and Kamui's not afraid of anything."

"It was inevitable," Azura frowned, "but you established a system to keep the army alert in times like this, did you not?"

"Only after it happened," Corrin admitted, "Zenzi, Rinkah, Oboro, and Kamui are the ones who saved us this time. Those stealthy marauders could have done some serious damage if those four weren't roaming the grounds late at nights. How can you stay so calm about it?"

"Just because I am not expressing it does not mean I am calm," Azura warned, "It's greatly discomforting to me, especially knowing that they're after us."

"Us?" Corrin tilted his head.

"You; me, your sister," Azura warned, "Takumi and Sakura too, to a lesser extent. They will be relentless, and there will inevitably be more invasions to follow this one. We will need to fortify New Kamui much better than this now."

"I think I'll leave that to Kamui," Corrin mused, "I imagine she knows more about that sort of thing than I do. It'll be a shame to have to lock up such a beautiful place though…"

"Stay strong, Corrin," Azura rubbed his back, "You walk a difficult road, and even with those of us who help you on it at your side, the path remains difficult, and remains yours to climb."

"The idea that we'll be confronting Camilla sooner rather than later also terrifies me." Corrin admitted, "Kamui's easily the strongest member of our army, and she says that Camilla can best her in combat more than half the time."

"But even then," Azura reminded him, "she is but one woman, and this is ideally not going to come down to single combat. Perhaps speak to her more about it when you get the chance?"

"I'll do that," Corrin nodded, "Thank you, Azura."

"There is hardly a need for thanks," Azura cooed, "here Kamui does the heavy lifting while you do the heavy strategizing, and what do I do but wander and sing?"

"Those songs are what saved Takumi and Kamui though."

"But even then, I have shouldered negligible responsibility. I am almost never at war meetings, and seldom join the bulk of the army, be it for training or combat."

"I've been wondering about that actually. I just kind of trusted you that you know what you're doing and such."

"Trusting me is a dangerous idea," Azura blushed, "but I thank you for it anyways. Don't worry, Corrin Ikarayu. You have many friends at your side."

With an elegant twirl and a wave of sky-blue hair, Azura jumped from the wall and disappeared from sight before Corrin could respond.

Azura was an interesting figure. Corrin felt like even after all the years of knowing her, that he still hardly knew her, but perhaps there would be time to better get to know one another some day when they were not plagued with war, or with dealing with the invisible demon kingdom whose very name was taboo.

Corrin gazed out towards the rising sun and frowned again. He was silent for a while before another face appeared nearby, this one belonging to Kagero.

"Full report, milord," she began, "zero injuries, barring Rinkah, but you know how she is. No casualties, and damage to most buildings was negligible and easily repairable. New Kamui will be as good as new by this afternoon."

"Thank you, Kagero." Corrin smiled as he looked up at her. She was pretty; not just because of her curvaceous hourglass figure, but more because she always had a mellow expression on her pretty face. Corrin liked that about his childhood friend.

"If there is nothing else, milord?" She asked.

"Have a seat with me," Corrin offered. Kagero looked slightly confused, but slowly sat down, an air of caution in her movements as if she expected a trap. Corrin actually noticed this.

"I'm Corrin, not Kamui," he chuckled, "I'm not going to prank you or anything. Just have a seat."

"Is there a purpose for this, Lord Corrin?" she looked at him curiously. "I trust your judgment; I am simply confused as to where you are going with this."

"Take a breather, why don't you?" He smiled at her, "come on; I know how seriously you take your duties and everything, but look at me. On one hand here I am internally freaking out about the invasion and what this means for the future of New Kamui and our army, but even I know when I just need to take time to de-stress."

"I experience no stress and thus lack a need to 'de-stress', as it is," Kagero explained.

"Come on," Corrin nudged her, "You can either open up to me or I'll sic Kamui on you. And you and I both know that she's much wilder than me."

"Lady Kamui is actually a remarkably pleasant conversationalist," Kagero pointed out, "And I must admit that some of her thrilling novels have taken my fancy."

"So you do sometimes find time to do things you enjoy," Corrin indicated, "Kagero, you know me. I'm not trying to distract you from anything in particular. It's just… well, we've been friends a while, haven't we?"

"We have," Kagero smiled. "And much like my friendship with Orochi or with Lord Ryoma, my relationship with you is very special to me. But just as Lady Hinoka seems to find little time for formalities or pleasantries, I tend to find little time for recreational activities when there is much to be done in the way of keeping these grounds secure and keeping you safe."

"I suppose we could take every precaution ever, and worry about the ever-so-slight chance that the threshold of the castle would collapse on me as I stepped out for the morning." Corrin began.

"We can reinforce that with ease," Kagero didn't even skip a beat.

"Kagero," Corrin put a hand on her shoulder, "you're… missing the point. You are also… very tense." He didn't wait for Kagero to respond, but started massaging her shoulders. While Kagero briefly hesitated, a groan escaped her lips that caused her to blush a fierce shade of red.

"Milord…" she stammered, "I apologize. That was unbecoming of me…"

"No it wasn't," Corrin did not remove his hands from Kagero's shoulders since she did not appear to be fighting it. "You're so tense that it feels good for me to loosen these knots. What you really need is a massage by someone who knows more properly what they're doing. Kagero, I understand how important duty is to you, but as one of the people you have sworn to protect, I find it imperative that you tend your own needs some as well."

"I…" Kagero moved to get up as Corrin released her shoulders, "I will try to the best of my ability, milord. Thank you for your understanding."

Kagero vanished a second later, leaving Corrin alone. It bothered him to see her like that. For one, he might have been a little stricken with her, but more than that, he had she had been childhood friends, studying in the arts of the ninja together as young children, before Kagero went to pursue it further while Corrin studied up on becoming a mechanist and a tactician instead.

He figured it was time to get advice from Kamui about this sort of thing, because he knew full well that with the castle safe, she had not gone to sleep. She was always awake at night, and finding Kamui in a place with a tavern was as easy as spotting eggs in a bird's nest.

Sure enough, sitting behind the bar of The Drunken Princess was Kamui in the otherwise empty building, taking another drink.

"Drinking game?" she offered, holding up a bottle and belching uncharacteristically loudly for such a small woman.

" _How is this vulgar woman my twin sister…"_ Corrin mused with a sigh before speaking. "I'll pass. I have a question or two I'd like to ask you though if you don't mind?"

"Always so formal," Kamui chuckled, "ask away, brother. I mean, I'm pretty drunk so I can't guarantee I'll have good answers to your questions, but I can try. Besides, just think: At least I'm not sober, yeah?"

"Anyways," he paused, "this is about Silas."

"Hey now," Kamui belched. "Silas is a good-lookin' dude, and I have the best taste in men, thank you very much."

"I… didn't know you had a crush on him," Corrin stammered, "but that wasn't the point. I was just going to ask about him as your friend."

"Well why didn't you say so, you silly neener-head?" Kamui bonked Corrin on the head with a bottle, fortunately not breaking it. "Aye; Silas and I are good friends. What of it?"

"Well, how does he see it?" Corrin asked, "I mean, he's your retainer and you're his superior, right?"

"Well sure," Kamui shrugged, "and he respects that for the most part. I mean, you know me. I couldn't care less most of the time, but for the sake of formality and currently the only real Nohrian representatives here, I figure I might as well rep with pride, y'know?"

"So he doesn't always put duty above his friendship and emotions regarding you, does he?"

"Nah," Kamui paused, as the gears started turning in her head, "waaaaaait… are you asking this for relationship advice?"

"I…" Corrin stammered, and fortunately drunk Kamui was oblivious, "no; I just was wondering if we should start planning wedding events for you two soon."

"Well sure if he ever decides to propose to me," Kamui took another long draught, threw her bottle across the room and reached down to pull out another one. "But enough about that. Silas is a good guy, and drunk or not, every good romance takes time. At the very least, half a dozen chapters of a story oughta do it. Why? Do you have a crush on one of your retainers? Oooh… is it Zenzi? Because she's really adorable, but she's way too shy to admit anything like that out loud I'd guess."

"No, it's not Zenzi," Corrin fidgeted slightly, but Kamui was far too drunk to care about any of his tells. "She seems more attached to Roku anyways… though she is rather cute."

"Oooh… is it Kagero?" Kamui's eyes lit up.

"Why would you think it's her?"

"Process of Elimination: other than your own retainers, she's the one you're buddy-buddy with the most… unless you're flirting with Azura behind my back. Not like she's ever easy to find. Hitting on your sister Sakura would be weird and wrong, Reina's too old, you don't seem overly interested in Felicia or Orochi; it's not Hana; you and Oboro keep things professional, and I don't think either of us know Mozu well enough to try and throw her into a relationship. Anna would probably cheat on you to go have an affair with a bag of money or something, and I don't imagine you're going to offer a ring to me."

"Kamui…" Corrin cringed at the idea. "Is incest a thing in Nohr?"

"I thought it was a thing in Hoshido for a while," Kamui joked, "but I'm just shitting you. But hey, let's be real here. Do you have a crush on Kagero?"

"She and I were childhood friends just like you and Silas." Corrin explained.

"Well damn, girl!" Kamui grinned, "I mean, I'm straight but she's a looker. That rack could give Camilla's a run for the money, and she's probably killed a man or two with those thighs."

"Sister…" Corrin growled as he seized Kamui's beer bottle and struck her against the head with enough force to shatter it. "Don't be crass."

"I mean it's true," Kamui was either so drunk or so resilient that the hit did not faze her at all. "But more than that… she's got a really pretty face. My advice: if you want to get through to her, find her on some free time. She usually draws or something I think, and that's the best time to talk to her. It was hard enough trying to find her to read the next few pages of my manuscripts. Just be patient. If you get all romantic I'm sure Oboro and I will have a heyday being your bridesmaids and whatnot. Basically, just go with the flow. Figure out if your relationship is romantic or if it's just friendship. Take me and Kaze, for example. We're great buddies; he's a total bro. But romantically, it just didn't work out. Those ninjas are hard nuts to crack with their emotions. Anyways, get some rest. I'll pass out here and Oboro will drag me home or something when all's said and done."

"Right then." Corrin stood up. "Thanks." He knew he wouldn't be sleeping too much, for his thoughts were too much on Kagero and their friendship, Camilla and the danger she would inevitably pose as Corrin led his little army to meet the Nohrian Princess; and the safety of New Kamui and how it was his obligation as leader and chief tactician to keep the others safe. Too much was on his mind now for him to return to sleep.


	66. Chapter 66: The Broken Minds

**AUTHOR'S NOTES:** _This one's on time, because hot damn it was fun to write. We'll move on to Camilla's chapter in a bit, but for now, it's important for me to touch on a few potentially sensitive issues in this chapter. Mozu and Oboro both suffer from similar but different types of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) which causes their irrational beahaviours from time to 's not about to turn them both into emo broody kids that hate the world or anything, but either of them may be prone to certain mood swings at any time or in response to certain stimuli. They also did not handle the surprise attack on New Kamui very well at all. In fine, they're not entirely stable on a mental level. We'll see how this pans out for them as the story progresses. (Also, the poll regarding Dancers and Diviners is still on my profile, so feel free to vote!)  
Happy Reading!_

 **CHAPTER 66: The Broken Minds  
**

 _Sing with me a song of Fashion and Friends…_

Corrin was not the only one who had trouble going back to sleep. Mozu, who had been woken up like all the others during the invasion, was not going back to sleep anytime soon either, considering that the screams and the carnage had given her horrifying flashbacks of her village and how the Faceless had smashed through the little village and left none alive. These Vallites had been the same way, and so for all the terrified little farmer knew, she was about to lose everything again.

"Waaaaugh!" she cried as the memories kept playing again and again in her head. By this time most of the others had returned to the castle and their rooms, and Mozu didn't feel obligated to disrupt their sleep just because she couldn't get back to sleep.

Incidentally, she ran into Oboro in one of the halls, as she was heading back to her studio. Oboro, who had bonded with Mozu the most out of anyone in Corrin's army thus far (apart from Zenzi and Sakura, who everyone universally adored), could tell that something was wrong, and was genuinely concerned when she saw Mozu's face.

"Hey.." she spoke softly, extending her hand, "Are you alright?"

"No!" Mozu cried, whimpering in her corner of the hall, "I dunno what happened out there… but we were under attack, weren't we?"

"We were," Oboro sighed, "but we killed all the bastards off, and no one was hurt. We all survived, and the damage to the castle was minimal."

"Oh…" Mozu sighed, "that's… that's a relief. But that doesn't mean I I can just shake off that dread naggin' feeling, y'know? There ain't no way I'm gonna be able to sleep tonight now."

"Well, I can't exactly sing you lullabies and tuck you in at night," Oboro scratched her head, "but you know what I think would help?"

"Lemme guess…" Mozu might have been traumatized, but that didn't mean she had lost all common sense, "you wanna dress me up."

"Not that I was exactly being subtle about that," Oboro mumbled, "but yeah. Sometimes I find it's nice just to play a little dress-up, feel a little girly, and forget about everything, even if it's just for a few moments at a time. I'm not trying to impose on you, Mozu… I just think it might be a helpful coping mechanism?"

"Coping mechanism?" Mozu tilted her head, "it ain't like you're coping with weakness and fears or nothin', are ya?"

"Mozu…" Oboro sighed, "I might be tough, but I've got my fears and my weaknesses just as you do. It's okay to be scared. It's okay to be hurt. Sure I might expect you to try this outfit on that I've been working on for you, but I don't expect you to become this steely-resolved automaton with no feelings. Lord Corrin and Lord Takumi certainly don't either. You've heard my story. It might not be as horrifying as yours, but you're not alone in needing to cope, Mozu. That's really all I'm trying to get you to understand."

"Shucks," Mozu lowered her head, "It ain't that I don't trust y'all or nothin'; I'm just confused. You've started opening up more about your own problems, and you didn't used to do that. What changed?"

"Someone very dear to me explained to me that it's okay to let it out. It's okay to be scared. I'm scared, Mozu. Every night I'm scared; the fear that something or someone might come and attack us like the bandits did to my family. With that invasion just now, I'm terrified. I guess… in a way, I'm also kind of hoping to learn on you a little… and so I want you to lean on me in return. I'm being an imposing jerk again, Mozu, and I apologize. I just… I want to help. I want to do something else for someone, the way others have helped me."

Oboro's eyes were a bit red at this point, and for a moment Mozu's eyes met them.

"You'd really do that for little ol' me?" Mozu tilted her head.

"Don't downtalk yourself like that, Mozu!" Oboro pulled the smaller girl into a friendly embrace, "of course I would! You're just as important to this army as anyone else here. Besides—you're also my friend, and even if I was never able to design something for you, that wouldn't change… although I would still definitely love to dress you up."

"It's all just so overwhelming…" Mozu heaved a sigh as she wiped her brow. "And that invasion brought back all sorts of terrifying memories. I'm scared too, Oboro…" she hugged the tailor in response, finding in her a kindred spirit.

"The others…" Oboro shook her head, lowering her voice a bit. "They don't understand… that horrifying traumatic feeling of watching the most important people in your life get brutally slaughtered in front of you. It's something they don't understand… and something they should never need to understand. I wouldn't wish that on anyone… except maybe the fiends who caused it to me in the first place."

Oboro hated thinking about it, but she knew full well that there was something very wrong with her: a trait that only Mozu shared among the people of Corrin's army, and a trait that Oboro hoped no one ever had to deal with.

"Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder is a bitch," Oboro looked Mozu in the eyes again; "it seizes control of you at the most unpredictable times, and hijacks your sense of rationality, replacing it with mixtures of fear and anger. You start thinking things you know you shouldn't; you sometimes do things that you wouldn't normally do. And the worst part is that there's no way to reverse it. You learn to cope with it, but you never really get over it."

"So that's what they call it?" Mozu tilted her head. "I reckon most of my old village called it 'shell-shocked'; kind of that feeling some of the boys had after coming home from the army or somethin'. Still…" Mozu paused, and then sighed. "I don't want to be scared," she shook her head, "but it's hard… it's hard when you hear the same sounds you heard on the day your old life ended. The old visions of the scenes playin' out in your head. I was terrified, Oboro. I thought it was happenin' here in New Kamui… but they told me this place was safe! It's not! It ain't safe anymore either… we're out of places to hide!"

Somewhere during her little spiel she had seized one of Oboro's wrists, and only now realized that her knuckles and Oboro's hand were turning pale.

"Sorry 'bout that…" she released Oboro's wrist, "but… it's so relieving to know that someone knows what I'm talkin' about. Bein' scared about this kinda thing ain't about bein' a coward… it's about settin' something off in your mind that hijacks your sense of reason, or whatcha said. Here I thought I was gonna be a laughing stock for cowering in a corner during all that mayhem while everyone else was out fightin'."

"The assault on New Kamui *IS* terrifying though," Oboro agreed, "even Lady Kamui is scared, and she's not scared of anything. Why do you think I drink so much, Mozu? I mean sure Lady Kamui's pretty fun company, but really, a lot of the time you see me in there it's because I'm trying to get some nasty things off my mind. Now, I'm not going to encourage you to become an alcoholic if you're clean, but if you're not adverse to that sort of thing, feel free to join me for a drink any time."

"Honestly…" Mozu admitted, "I ain't no binge drinker like any of you… but I think right now a nice strong drink might be good for helping me unwind. Either that or maybe a trip to the bathhouse... Or dare I even say it… maybe even lettin' you play dress-up with me." She elbowed Oboro playfully, much to the older girl's surprise.

"Don't tell me you're jesting," Oboro nudged Mozu back.

"No shuckin' ya," Mozu shook her head, "I mean… I really need to get my mind off of it. I keep thinkin' of ma… and everyone else that I couldn't save…"

Neither one could sleep, and so they decided to make their way to the hot spring for a relaxing bath. Fortunately for them, no one else was there, because Oboro would not have hesitated to forcefully remove them if necessary.

The two women stripped down and slipped into the warm water, which began loosening their tense muscles right away.

"We didn't have anything like this back home," Mozu commented after a little while, "I'm in seventh heaven. How did I not come here sooner?"

"Your guess is as good as mine, silly," Oboro giggled, "it's usually best to take a nice long bath to de-stress though… or just for recreation… or in anticipation of putting on something fancy."

"I can't say I'm overly familiar with it," Mozu admitted, "I mean sure we all had our formal best back home, but nothing near what you royal folk go wearin'. Still… I'm a woman of my word, and so we can head down to your style parlor after this if you want. It ain't like I'm going to get much sleep tonight, I don't think." She shuddered again.

"Well, we'll stop and grab a drink from The Drunken Princess before we do any dressing up," Oboro assured her, "do you have any preferences?"

"Well, like I said earlier, I'm no binge-drinker," Mozu admitted, "but sometimes poppin' open a bottle of sake after a good day's work was a fine way to end the week. We were rice farmers, so that was fairly popular down in our little village. How about you?"

"Believe it or not," Oboro actually cracked a smile as she let water run over her hair again, "but one of the few things I can tolerate about Nohr is their firewhiskey. It's got a hell of a kick to it, but it's invigorating in my opinion."

"I might have to try me some of that unless Lady Kamui's downed it all," Mozu chuckled, "though now that's got me curious, Oboro. How do you feel about a fine aged wine?"

"And here I thought you were leading me to believe that your little village didn't know some of the finer things in life!" Oboro giggled, "obviously it'd depend on the vintage, but that, for me, is the way to end a romantic evening or a stellar party. What kinds of occasions ever had you pull those out?"

"Usually we had 'em at harvest festivals," Mozu explained, "or sometimes we'd drink to the good fortune of someone or another. Obviously I was too young to do any drinking at the time, but even our little village out there celebrated when Prince Takumi 'n Princess Sakura were born. Still… a strong wine and a nice book sounds like a great way to spend the evening to me. Maybe I'll have to find a copy of that _Dancers and Diviners_ serial or somethin'."

"No way!" Oboro gawked with an excited smile on her face, "you read that series too?"

"I ain't never been much of a reader," Mozu admitted, "but that book's so addictin' it's hard to put it down. The part where th' dancer and her maid met the two different princes at the court was so cute 'n dreamy… I wonder if that ever happens in real life?"

"Lady Kamui's a pretty incredible writer," Oboro admitted, "that stupid book has kept me up way too late, and she left me on a cliffhanger. The Nohrian Prince takes th—"

"Oy now!" Mozu nudged Oboro, "I ain't that far yet! No spoilin' it for me!"

"Right, right; sorry," Oboro apologized, "but without spoiling anything… Book 2's good. There's a particular part with one of the princes and a diviner that I think you'll really like."

"Is it the Hoshidan or the Nohrian?" Mozu tiled her head. Despite being clearly based in Ferevs, Kamui's story was entirely fictional rather than having Xander, Takumi, or any of the actual Hoshidan or Nohrian royalty in them. "No wait! Bad Mozu! Don't tell me!"

The two women marinated in the springs for a while before eventually getting out and drying off, the minerals in the water doing wonders for their hair.

"Now, what better way to kick off the morning than to dress the part?" Oboro beamed, "Come, Mozu. I won't rest until you're the finest looking gal in the army!"

"I ain't gonna be regrettin' my promise to go through with this, am I?"

"Mozu," this time Oboro nudged the smaller girl, "why would I ever want to treat you foul—especially after all of this? No. I'm going to make you the stunner you've always dreamed of being, even if it takes all day!"

"Haha…" Mozu chuckled sheepishly, as she followed Oboro across the grounds to one of the backrooms of her recently-established style parlor and accessory shop, "that… that's a figure of speech right? We ain't gonna be up all day are we? Oboro?"

But Oboro either wasn't listening or was too excited to hear her. Not wanting to back out of this and absolutely crush her friend's excitement, Mozu resigned herself to whatever wild whims of high Hoshidan fashion Oboro's creative mind was whipping up at this very moment...

* * *

 ** _AFTERTHOUGHTS:_** _Oboro and Mozu are both really rather messed up in the head, and that's not something that they will ever fully alleviate. It could be argued that Kamui could have been traumatized by witnessing Mikoto's death firsthand, but tragically, she had not had the years-old bond between herself and her mother the way Mozu and Oboro had with their respective families. Everything kind of happened so fast, and then Kamui turned into a dragon and has little memory of the rest. Not to say that Mozu or Oboro are going to be moping and crying every chapter or anything, but they have (and need) coping mechanisms from time to time. Such is the nature of PTSD, and as Oboro mentioned in the chapter, it can hijack your thoughts and rationality and can make you think or sometimes even do things you would not normally do. So all in all, these are some common characteristics of the PTSD that the two of them have. feel free to share thoughts on this if you would like. Thanks for reading!_


	67. Chapter 67: The Voyage to Cheve

**AUTHOR'S NOTES:** _So there's a common joke that goes around regarding the retainers from each side, referencing how all the Hoshidan retainers are nobility and such who have served the Hoshidan crown for generations, while the Nohrian retainers were basically criminals and strangers and some even tried killing their liege before being hired on by them. While most of that is true, there is an interesting exception. Oboro is the only Hoshidan not explicitly mentioned to be nobility (only that her family did business with the castle), and so I decided to expand a bit on her story, which also ties in with the previous chapter. We also get to see the long-anticipated return of Camilla, as well as a familiar alias from Valla. So strap in and get ready for a wild ride over the next few chapters; these are going to be fun.  
Happy Reading!_

 **CHAPTER 67: The Voyage to Cheve**

 _Sing with me a song of Journeys and Chills…_

It took a couple of days, but eventually Corrin's army managed to recover from the whole invasion fiasco, and they posted guards in the evenings as well as mornings. Hana and Hinata volunteered for some of the night patrols, hoping that they could get a taste of action if any were to happen, but fortunately for everyone else as well as the castle grounds and the sanity of Kamui, Mozu, and Oboro, there were no more invaders for the time being.

While their little dress-up session had gone nearly until noon, Mozu had been so thrilled with everything Oboro tried on her that she hadn't even realized it. Like Jakob and Kamui, Oboro lately slept through the day, and despite her farmwork, Mozu was starting to shift in this direction as well. After being up nearly two full days, both of them slept like babies. Sakura was particularly relieved when she went to check on them.

"I'm glad Oboro's okay," Takumi shook her head, "She's been really off lately—more than usual at least. She deserves the rest."

"If you were that concerned, why didn't you check on her?" Sakura looked at her older brother curiously. Anyone else might have made it seem accusatory, but Sakura was simply curious.

"I dunno…" Takumi scratched his head, "I mean, prince or not, it feels kind of weird for me to tiptoe into a woman's room just to make sure she's sleeping well. With you, it's more… I dunno. It's kind of like a priestess going to check on patients in the infirmary." The way Takumi was fidgeting made it clear he felt a bit awkward as he tried to piece his words together.

"She… is special to you, isn't she?" Sakura looked down at her shoes, which had suddenly become unusually fascinating.

"Well, I wouldn't choose just anyone to be my retainers," Takumi pointed out, "Hinata's a great guy; reliable and strong; living up to his family's legacy and all that. Oboro's… much different. I still remember Ryoma and Hinoka lecturing me about my choice, but I stood by it. She deserved that much. She deserved another chance at life."

"Another chance at life!?" Sakura gawked, "big brother… what's the story behind that? You've never told us this!"

"I never told it to anyone." Takumi confessed as he took a seat and got comfortable, implying Sakura should do the same.

"It was about 5 years ago… shortly after her parents were killed, according to her reckoning," Takumi began, "I don't know how she got in, and I never asked. I just remember seeing her teetering on the balcony, pulling a knife on me when I called for her to stop."

Sakura's eyes widened, but she remained silent as Takumi continued.

"I was just a kid back then; I mean sure I knew a little about how to fight, but I wasn't going to fight this girl. I just didn't want her to jump…"

 _=Castle Shirasagi, 5 years earlier…=_

"Stop!" Takumi called out, causing the silhouetted figure to spin around. It was a girl, a crazed expression on her face and her fight hand clenched tightly around a knife.

"Get outta here!" she snapped, "Don't say a word and you'll be fine. I ain't gonna hurt anyone. I'm just here to…" she paused, glancing over at the abyss below near the base of the castle, shrouded in the abyss of the evening, "just here to... end it all…"

"Why?" Takumi looked at her curiously. "End what?"

"You wouldn't understand!" the girl cried out.

"Well maybe if you told me I would!" Takumi retorted, "What's your name?"

"My…" the girl stammered a moment, "My name is Oboro Fukui. Don't mind me. I just wanted to see the grandeur of this place before I died."

"You're too young to die!" Takumi exclaimed.

"I'm gonna kill myself," Oboro kept her knife clutched tightly, "I… was gonna stab myself but I'm too scared. So I'm going to close my eyes and jump."

Takumi's 13-year-old mind tried to process this. The notion that someone would kill themselves on purpose seemed foreign to him. Why would she want to do that? What could drive a girl so young to want to take her life so soon?

"Don't do that!" Takumi stepped towards her, where Oboro kept one hand clutched tightly around the frame of the magnificent window-like opening she stood on and the other around her knife.

"See this knife?" Oboro gritted her teeth, "This is the only thing I have left of anything! Do you want to know where I found it?"

"Where?" Takumi tilted his head.

"I pulled it out of the skull of my father!" she screamed. "Nohrians… they killed my parents… destroyed their shop… took everything I had! I have nothing. I guess you wouldn't know how that is, living in this big fancy castle or anything…"

"No." Takumi cut her off. "But I know what it's like to feel powerless… to feel weak… to feel overshadowed."

Oboro froze as she heard those words.

"Come down…" Takumi offered his hand, "We can figure things out without having to kill anyone, right? Let's at least talk about it. If you don't like my idea, I'll leave you alone…"

 _=Present Day…=_

"You never told me you saved Oboro from suicide!" Sakura seized Takumi's shoulders, looking almost panicked.

"I never told anyone except mother," Takumi admitted, "I was just doing what anyone would have done. It's just… I've seen what she goes through—what she's still going through. Worse… I get to see what she does to herself. She's not right in the head, Sakura. Those crushing doubts; the wondering if you're strong enough—if you're good enough—it resonates with me."

"Well if there's anything I can help with," Sakura looked Takumi directly in the eyes, "please let me know. I always had premonitions about Oboro's mental state… but you… you confirmed it for me. Oh please take good care of her, brother."

"And you as well," Takumi smiled, putting a hand on Sakura's shoulder. "She speaks very highly of you. I don't know what you and her do together, and I figure she'd tell me if it was my business, but she really likes you, sister. Don't let that change."

While Takumi was much less reserved about launching threats, this was little more than a humble and sincere request for Sakura to continue treating Oboro with the same love and care that she had been.

"She's strong, but she's been broken several times," Takumi continued. "She's gotten back up and pieced herself together, but even then, she's still fragile. She needs you probably more than she needs me."

Sakura noticed a touch of envy slip onto Takumi's visage and she stopped him.

"No," she objected, "she needs her liege—she needs the one who comforted her in her darkest and most desperate hour."

Takumi sighed and nodded in agreement. "This is why I love you, Sakura." he smiled. "You're always looking out for me."

"You need care just as much as Oboro does," Sakura explained, "Everyone does. Some people like Oboro might need extra special care, but everyone deserves it. I... I couldn't ever deny that to someone if I could help it."

The rest of the conversation trailed pleasantly into more of the familiar sibling bonding, and even Takumi ended up leaving with much more confidence. Neither one of them had realized, however, that sometime during the discussion Hinata had appeared behind one of the walls and overheard everything—and scampered off in a conflict of interests—to keep Lord Takumi's secret, or to share the information regarding Oboro and Takumi's mutual feelings…

Business was usual continued for another day in the castle, with Jakob and Roku, the night's watch, having nothing new to report. The following morning, Anna, Saizo, Kagero, and Kaze returned with news about the situation in Cheve.

"The rebellion there is in a delicate situation, milord," Kaze began, "Princess Camilla and her troops are stationed there, but they do not seem to be doing much apart from intimidation."

"Then we need to get there as soon as possible and get her back on our side," Corrin explained, "both for our own sake as well as the Chevois. It might also help Kamui ease up a bit on her drinking, and put her mind at ease."

"I will inform milady at once," Gunter declared. Of Kamui's retainers, only he was present at the meeting, as Jakob was asleep from the night watch; Felicia was tending to some chores, and Kamui was being "drunk and irresponsible" as Corrin called it.

"We will need to arrange for a ferry then," Anna pointed out, "Luckily I've got connections from here to the Outrealms, so we'll be set on that front within a couple hours once I'm done."

"Then I suppose we just need to make sure we're ready to move out and that Lilith can take us where we need to be," Corrin pointed out, "Any objections?"

"None, milord." Kagero spoke for the ninja trio.

"Then spread the word," Corrin ordered, "We move out at the earliest opportunity."

True to her word, Anna managed to catch them a ferry in the nick of time, and soon they were sailing westward towards Cheve and Nohrian territory.

"All I can say is thank Duma this boat doesn't rock," Kamui had a bottle in her hands, though this time it was just water.

"I'll say," a foreign voice replied, acting as if she had been next to Kamui the whole time. Kamui turned, and others turned. Corrin recognized the interloper and named her before anyone could get too alarmed. Unfortunately, for Saizo and Kagero there was no such thing as "too alarmed", and both of them had poisoned blades against the girl's neck in seconds, forcing her to freeze on the spot and barely breathe.

"Saizo, Kagero," Corrin waved his hands, recognizing the girl from her green eyes and sky-blue hair that matched Azura's. "At ease. I know this woman."

He paused, turning to the girl in question. "Chel? How did you get here?"

"I tagged along," Marzichel replied, "I have a friend in Cyrkensia I need to reach, and so I decided to hop on the next ferry heading that way. It just happened to be yours."

"Ladies and gentlemen," Corrin announced, "This is Marzichel; Chel for short. Some of us owe her our lives. She is safe and able to be trusted."

"I… wouldn't say that," Chel gave a sheepish chuckle, "but… Never mind. I'm just a little flustered… um, from a book I've been reading." her eyes darted around, falling briefly on Azura, and then towards Silas and Kaze.

"What book, if I may be nosy?" Kamui raised her eyebrows.

" _Wild in Windmire_ ," Chel replied, "Gripping serial; good stuff, really."

"Good to see someone likes one of my other books besides _Dancers and Diviners_ …" Kamui muttered, before pausing, "...is it just me, or is it getting colder?"

"We're definitely heading into a storm, milady," Jakob warned, "We should probably take cover before it starts to rain."

But before anyone could move too far, the boat lurched to a halt.

"Grima's flaming asschabs; the hell was that!?" Rinkah barked.

"The hell is going on?" Kamui glanced at the water below the boat, "the sea's frozen solid. Nohr's cold, but it's not this cold; especially not this time of year."

"Hold!" Corrin warned, and there was a silence that fell over the ship apart from the cold breeze. The sound of another ship chipping through the ice could be heard, and it was growing louder.

"Keep your weapons close," he whispered, "I think we might be under attack."

There was silence as the ship began approaching them from the west. No hostilities occurred just yet, but a few quick glances as to who was on the ship, and it sent fear through the spines of nearly everyone on board. Roku, Oboro, Zenzi, and Kamui looked particularly unnerved as the images of four very familiar women appeared through the fog.

Standing behind the railing of the enemy ship was Selena, Beruka, Arozza, and Camilla, their eyes shimmering red, and hungry, violent expressions upon their faces. Sure enough, the ship stopped across from them, its sights clearly set upon their target. Behind them was Flora, a steely resolve upon her visage to make up for her lack of red eyes. She was the only one of nominal importance who was not under the Exalted One's spell, but her mission was clear.

" _Is it truly selfish of me to do this,"_ she mused as her face remained expressionless, _"What are two lives compared to the lives of dozens of innocent people back in my tribe? I do not know the significance of why Princess Kamui and Princess Sakura must be the ones to die, but orders are orders. I must not fail."_

The ship's commander's intentions were much clearer as she warped right in front of Corrin's crew, fixating her gaze on Kamui in particular.

"Greetings, Kamui darling," Camilla smirked, brandishing a wicked-looking axe that she recognized immediately as Bolverk. "Prepare to be boarded."


	68. Chapter 68: Camilla Kumenacht

**AUTHOR'S NOTES:** _Sorry about the delay on this one. I got a metric boatload of inspiration for my original works, and as such it kind of took precedence. Whatever the case, here's the long-awaited battle against Princess Camilla. She's definitely going to mix things up for our mostly-Hoshidan friends in Corrin's army, but Camilla's nice enough in most cases. Also, anyone interested (or not) in "Dancers and Diviners" should check out my profile poll. Either way, there's going to be a lot of things to clear up in the upcoming chapters though, so I'll stop rambling and offer up this chapter instead._  
 _Happy Reading!_

 **CHAPTER 68: Camilla Kumenacht**

 _Sing with me a Song of You of the Dark..._

Camilla warped back to her own ship a moment later and before anyone could try and attack her. Naturally, none of the members of Corrin's army took this well; not even Mozu.

"Ready to start counting again?" Hana elbowed Hinata.

"Always and forever," Hinata put his game face on. "As soon as Lord Corrin gives the order.

"Camilla," Kamui was the one to step forward, "It's me; and I know this is not you. Snap out of this nonsense."

"I've been instructed to eliminate you by any means necessary, darling," Camilla warned, "as well as the demon princess and the dancing girl behind you."

Kamui glanced back but only saw Azura and Chel, but it seemed that was what Camilla's army was hoping for. A rogue shot Kamui in the side as she turned, causing her to stagger.

"Try to keep killing as a last resort," Corrin ordered, drawing his sword, "but defend yourself by any means necessary!"

Chaos began after that as Kamui jumped up and morphed into her dragon form. Camilla sprung back into a rather high and elegant flip. "Looks like it's time for Marzia to come and play!"

A screech filled the air as a black, red-eyed dragon soared out and under Camilla as she landed with remarkable grace atop its back.

"Oh, my…" Reina called for her Kinshi, "I've always wanted to clash steel with the Princess of Nohr… COME, PRINCESS. FIGHT ME WITH ALL YOUR UNHOLY FURY!"

"My, my, but this WILL be delightful," Camilla licked her lips, "Come, She-Devil of Hoshido… let the courtship of demons continue as I see whether or not you are worthy of your reputation!"

While these two clashed atop their also rather aggressive aerial mounts, Takumi managed to take Beruka out of the sky fairly quickly. However, instead of crash-landing, she recovered with remarkable ease and was locked in combat with Oboro a moment later. Despite having a weapon disadvantage against Beruka's axe, Oboro was powerful enough that she held her own against this assassin.

"I am Beruka Montezuma," she introduced herself, putting pressure on Oboro as the rest of her friends were engaging against others of Camilla's soldiers, "and I am here to sink this boat and end your life."

"My name is Oboro Fukui," Oboro parried a blow that should have cloven her naginata in two, but the way she had parried it prevented the weapon from becoming small wooden fragments, "and I am NOT going to lose here, and am NOT going to die at a Nohrian's hand!"

"Fukui…" Beruka gave pause, as if even possessed she was having a moment of clarity. Had Oboro not been shocked by this as well, she might have plunged her spear into Beruka's heart during the opportunistic moment.

"No matter," she snapped back out of it a moment later, "Finishing the mission!"

Roku and Zenzi were dealing with Selena and Arozza respectively, which proved to be difficult for them. Fortunately, other members of the army were keeping Camilla's retainers from getting any packup, and so it was essentially single combat as Arozza clashed against Zenzi, and as Roku clashed against his daughter Selena.

"Arozza!" Zenzi kept her elegant steps to help her stay out of the path of Arozza's would-be fatal blows, "It's me! Zenzi!"

"I cannot be allowed to spare anyone," Arozza warned, "As long as the higher power holds me, I am unable to stay my blade."

Arozza had become frighteningly swift during her sojourn in Nohr, it appeared, for it kept Zenzi on her toes. Meanwhile, Reina seemed to be doing fairly well against Camilla, or perhaps Camilla was reserving her strength in an attempt to wear the older woman out. Camilla kept attempting to dive bomb near Kamui's location, but Reina and Gunter sort of tag-teamed it to do an effective job at blocking her.

"Sloppy!" Garon rebuked Camilla's attempt with a skillful block as Kamui dealt with some of the other adversaries.

"Come now, darling," Camilla's focus returned to Reina, "old and experienced as you may be, do you really suspect that I'm using all my might behind this elegant axe?"

"Hardly"! Reina laughed, "but milord has forbade me from slaying you, and so the righteous hymn surrounding your death will be sung another day. I'm merely here to keep your focus."

"No worries then," Camilla channelled lightning from a magic tome that Reina only barely avoided, "I have plenty of other help, you know…"

A barrage of arrows kept Reina on high alert, and skillful maneuvering between her and her Kinshi kept both of them from plunging to an icy grave. Camilla used this freedom to start dive bombing the rest of Corrin's army, keeping several of them on their toes, and ultimately knocking Subaki, Felicia, Orochi, Hayato, and Mozu out of commission.

Kamui decided to confront Flora directly. Her eyes weren't red, and so she was betraying them out of her own volition.

"Explain yourself, traitor!" Kamui brandished an axe and seemed more than willing to use it. As such, she wasted no time in deflecting Flora's blades as she threw them with a deftness only matched by Saizo or Jakob.

"I can't afford to show you mercy, Lady Kamui," she apologized, "my tribe needs me to hold nothing back. Are you prepared to die?"

"Is the Ice Tribe bereft of any honor?" Rinkah was the one to interrupt the reunion, "or do you cower under the might of the Nohrian King's oppression hoping to slay the ones who wish to stop him an a feeble attempt to protect what you hold dear?" unlike Kamui, Rinkah was just shrugging off the attacks as she barrelled towards Flora, "The coward fears the reaper just as the traitor fears for her own life. If you knew what was good for you then you would have joined us instead of betraying the very people seeking to end this madness."

In a surprising burst of rage, Rinkah hurled her club with vicious accuracy, striking Flora rather sharply on the forehead. Blood was drawn and she was either dead or out cold. It was difficult to tell at this distance. Whatever the case, there were more battles to be fought, and Kamui needed to get Camilla out of the air so she wouldn't kill anyone. Several of their soldiers were already rather wounded.

Incidentally, it was Takumi who made the fateful shot. Pulling his bow back, he locked onto Camilla and let an arrow loose with the shout of "Die already!"

Exaggeration or not, Takumi's arrow whizzed through the air, and Kamui later swore that she briefly saw the windlike trajectory coil into the words "Nohrian Scum", as if the arrow read the thoughts of its wielder. Whatever the case, his aim struck true, striking Camilla's wyvern right in its vitals. Marzia plunged, and disappeared below the ice with her rider still mounted, and for a moment, Camilla was gone.

It was not enough to shake the influence she had over her retainers, and thus not enough to shake the curse they were under. It did shake Selena enough to allow Roku to gain the upper hand, however, and with Corrin's help, they took Selena down. It took the help of Rinkah, Hana, and Hinata, but eventually the flurry of blades overwhelmed the deft swordmaster that was Arozza, and she submitted as well.

However, the good fortunes were not to last. Moments later, Camilla emerged from the water, fire in her eyes as she wielded her sword and began launching bursts of wind from it in every direction. It even took Kamui back a bit, although she steeled her resolve, clutched her dragonstone tightly, and morphed into the Dusk Dragon, bellowing a challenging roar to try and draw Camilla's attention.

"Azura…" Corrin warned, "Now would be a really good time to sing…"

A deft twirl from her lance and another one of Camilla's soldiers was felled, leaving Azura free for the moment. She took a deep breath before bursting into soft yet powerful song.

" _Sing with me a song of Conquest and Fate…"_

Camilla staggered, but still managed to heft a powerful swing at Kamui that would have cloven her right in two if Takumi hadn't fired a shot right at the sword. Had it been a normal arrow it might have glanced right off, but Takumi's wind arrows gave enough force to the swing that it diverted its course just enough to prevent decapitating Kamui. The shock was enough to force her back out of her dragon form, which she still did not have full control over.

"Nope!" He jeered at Camilla before grabbing Kamui's hand and pulling her to her feet. "Keep it together, sister. No dying on me!"

Camilla emitted a piercing scream that made both Corrin and Kamui (the ones with the keenest hearing) cringe, not only for the highness of the shriek, but also for how unnatural it sounded. The Exalted One clearly had a strong metaphorical grip on her that she did not want to relinquish easily.

" _The Black Pillar cracks beneath its weight…"_

Camilla staggered again, and this time Kamui rushed in with her sword and disarmed Camilla, her legendary sword twirling through the air. Kamui sprang up and caught it, before pointing it at Camilla's throat, her red eyes fixated on Camilla's glowing ones. The glow began to dissipate, and Kamui eased her grip, but still kept the blade pointed at Camilla to make sure she did not try anything. She was not sure the extent of the curse.

"You've won, Kamui darling…" she sighed, spitting blood onto the ice they stood on. "Now finish what you started, and kill me."

"For serious?!" Kamui gawked, "sister, I could never!"

"I would strongly advise against giving up, milady," Arozza spoke up. With the curse on Camilla broken, she, as well as Beruka and Selena, were no longer under the curse either.

"Lady Camilla, this seems like much too easy a surrender," Beruka reasoned, "You have been speaking so highly of this Princess Kamui for so long, and now that she bests you, you wish to call it quits for good?"

"In a way… yes," Camilla frowned. She was also shivering considering that she had not dried off from taking the plunge into the frigid sea below. "Years ago, I swore on my life that I would protect dear Kamui from the evils of this world. Now, I have betrayed her, and nearly killed her. My life is forfeit. I cannot accompany her as a traitor, and I cannot return home empty-handed."

"Camilla," Kamui frowned, before cursing and clutching her left arm, which seemed particularly injured, "I'm not going to kill you. The only reason I pointed this sword at you at all was in case the curse hadn't finished with you, in the which case I'm sure Azura would have finished her song. On your feet, princess, and take Alondite in your hands once more." Kamui offered Camilla her sword back. Camilla glanced up at the lengthy silver blade before smirking, licking her lips, and rising to her feet.

"Darling, you know I can't say no to you when you make that face," Camilla cooed, taking the sword by the handle. "Very well; I submit. Outfit and command me as you wish, dear."

"Well, one thing's certain," Kamui promised, "once we land, I can take you to a place far better than this frigid sea." She launched into an explanation of New Kamui and the amenities that it had, and Camilla interrupted her almost predictably the instant she mentioned the bathhouse.

"Kamui, you and I are having a bath when we get there," she declared, "no ifs ands or buts."

Kamui laughed. Corrin and Takumi exchanged glances; while Hinata and Oboro may or may not have been staring at how Camilla's soaked garments clung to her figure, albeit for extremely different reasons.

The victory had been hard-earned, but one thing was clear: with the first full-fledged Nohrians joining the army, things in New Kamui were about to change dramatically. Whether they were for better or for worse was up for debate or up to personal opinions, but it would definitely not be the same after it all.

* * *

 **AFTERTHOUGHTS:** _And with that, Camilla joins the group. I know that I had a slew of things planned once she joined (including some of the amiibo battles, particularly the ones involving Ike and the grandmaster tactician), and so there's going to be a whirlwind of fun from here. As for the chapter title, Camilla's surname was revealed in Chapter 63, and as such, it's the same one that Xander, Leo, Elise, and even Kamui, bears. It doesn't have a huge bearing on the plot, but it does help with a few formal honorifics down the line. Either way, thanks for reading!_

* * *

 **CHARACTERS RECRUITED:**

 **Arozza:** _A swordmaster who says nothing about her homeland who came into Camilla's service after stumbling across the Nohrian border. A very talented but self-conscious woman, she often wonders if she's worthy to mingle with those around her, despite her skills and abilities. A naturally gifted strategist, she also has a knack for learning people's inner turmoils easily, and then helping them resolve said problems. The biggest mystery of the group. Born on 16 January (Age 22)_  
 _Classes: Swordmaster/Grandmaster_

 **Beruka:** _A wyvern knight from Nohr serving Camilla. Born to heartless parents who left her on the streets, she is quiet and unexpressive. She has been an assassin since her youth, and established a notorious reputation for being ruthless and efficient at this task. She has a very professional attitude, preferring to discuss business over social pleasantries, unless it is particularly thought-provoking. The one with the highest poison tolerance. Born on 26 February (Age 23)_  
 _Classes: Wyvern Lord/Priestess_

 **Selena:** _A retainer serving Camilla in Nohr. Her homeland and history are unknown, although she appears to know Roku in particular from somewhere even if he does not recognize her. Strong willed and angry, she will occasionally show a gentle side to those she trusts. She often tries to hide this gentle side from others, primarily due to a crippling inferiority complex which causes her to come off as brash as she does. The most wasteful shopper. Born on 21 January (Age 21)_  
 _Classes: Hero/Sorceror_

 **Camilla:** _The eldest princess of Nohr, and a terror to her enemies on the battlefield with the legendary sword, Alondite. A very family-oriented woman, she is extremely affectionate and emotionally attached to Kamui, and serves both as a doting older sister and somewhat as a mother figure. This maturity and elegance also extends to others, where she can shrewdly read all but the most closed-off people with ease. The fondest of hot springs. Born on 30 November (Age 23)_  
 _Classes: Malig Knight/Great Lord_


	69. Chapter 69: A Slew of Explanations

**AUTHOR'S NOTES:** _A little late considering the last chapter was posted during the middle of the week, but our standard Monday programming has returned for the foreseeable future. With Camilla now in the group, there's a bit more of a gap between the game's 12th and 13th chapters, but there's also a lot to cover. Also as a reminder, the Selena/Severa in this story was Lon'qu's daughter, and as such, she's got a few interesting and colorful remarks when she finally meets Roku. Otherwise, the dream team of Roku/Zenzi/Arozza that got split up way back in like, chapter 3, has finally been reunited after 66 chapters.  
Happy Reading!_

 **CHAPTER 69: A Slew of Exaplanations**

 _Sing with me a song of Bonding and Loss…_

Camilla was in awe of New Kamui as she and her retainers laid eyes on it for the first time. She actually even lifted her loose bangs up from over her left eye to look around, and her face lit up like a child on her birthday when she noticed the bathhouse.

"If you'll excuse me," she pushed her way to the front of the crowd and began beelining it for the baths, "I'll be marinating in here for the next 16 hours, should anyone need me."

Corrin and several others glanced at Kamui, and then at Camilla's retainers, who all kind of just watched as Camilla began began loosening her clothes (a somewhat tricky task since the cold water had made them stick to her form much more) before she disappeared inside.

"She's not joking," Beruka muttered bluntly.

"Why is everyone staring at us?" Selena barked, "milady can do what she pleases as long as she's not hurting anyone. It's not like we follow her around at the hip all day. Gawds!"

"Well…" Corrin cleared his throat, "Either way, we're pleased to have all of you here. Please, make yourselves at home, and let us know if there is anything we can do for you."

"You're the first other Nohrians I've seen in awhile!" Felicia exclaimed, "it's actually really nice here. The Hoshidans are friendly enough…"

She stammered a little on this remark, and it was clear that Camilla's retainers were already starting to exchange looks with Takumi and his retainers, as well as Kazahana and Saizo. Sakura frowned and looked away, and suddenly it was like the area had just gotten about 5 degrees hotter. Oboro's left eye twitched and she suddenly was fixated on Beruka. Selena responded in kind by glaring at her, but then her eyes wandered first to Takumi, and then over to Corrin, and then to his retainers, where she began staring intently at Roku. Roku kept a stoic expression, but knowing that a woman was drilling holes in his back with her eyes made him uncomfortable. This expression seemed to ignite even further as he moved towards Zenzi.

"I take it we're all adults here," Reina stepped up to help Corrin out, "and fortunately, New Kamui has some wonderful sparring grounds if anyone would like to settle disputes. While I'm more than happy to sit and watch the two sides fight to the death with the loser screaming in agony as the winner's sword sticks out of their gut, Lord Corrin does not endorse such behaviour and as such, neither can I. Let's play nice for now, shall we?"

"Right then," Arozza put her hands on Selena and Beruka's shoulders. Takumi surprisingly responded in kind by tapping Oboro's back softly, though he kept a wary eye on the stoic little black-clad Nohrian, as if daring her to try something.

Either way, the army dissipated as they went their own ways to rest and relax for the afternoon. Selena, however, went straight for Roku and Zenzi.

"You," she seized Roku's shirt as she pulled him aside. Zenzi followed, which seemed to spark Selena's ire further. "We're talking, and we're talking now."

"I do not know you," Roku grunted, "we have established that."

"But I know YOU, and that's what's important!" Selena asserted.

Roku glanced around, as if to make sure they were alone. Zenzi remained silent, but also remained with them. He took a deep breath, before sighing.

"Fine," he growled, "I do know you. At least, a shadow of who you are… Severa."

"Arozza didn't speak much about you, and it drove me crazy!" Selena complained, before Roku put a finger to her lips.

"I assume your alias is one you wish to keep up, am I correct?" he grunted, before continuing, "Because if so, I recommend you lower your voice."

"Don't tell me what to do!" Selena looked insulted, "You're not my dad!"

"You're right," Roku grunted, "I'm not. So why have you come to harass me?"

Selena stamped her boot against the ground as she realized she had put her foot in her mouth, "That's not…!? I didn't mean it like THAT! I just… Gawds! Were you always this grumpy?"

"Stop." Roku ordered, "Take a breath. Explain to me what you want so I can help you fix the problem and you can get out of my hair. Zenzi and I are here for presumably the same reason as you, and we cannot speak of it. What more do you wish to know?"

"Explain HER." Selena pointed at Zenzi, "is this any way you treat your daughter? What would mother say?"

She groaned. "Ugh… what would Mrs. Paragon of Perfection say right now?"

"Severa…" Roku gave a drawn-out sigh. "No… Selena. I do not harbor ill will towards you, but you need to understand. This is… difficult for me. Your hair color is different… but it's her color. The rest of you… the rest of you looks like the child I lost. You and your mother are not alive in the world I am from. Neither is any of Zenzi's family. The two of us, as well as Arozza, are some of the only ones left."

"That's so weird, and SO annoying!" Selena complained, "Obviously… well, you know. Everyone was fucking dead except us kids in my timeline… and coming back to see you at a younger age just made things more of a mess. But I'm seeing you with Laslow's mom and it's creepy. It's gross! That would make him and me siblings. Eww…"

"I… understand that it might make you uncomfortable, Selena," Roku sighed, "But not a day goes by that I do not think of the family I lost. Zenzi has been a source of comfort to me…"

"And Roku has been the same to me," Zenzi chipped in. "Sev—Selena… we… we lost everything. Our friends; our family… the lives we knew… w-we even gave up our names when we came here."

"Permanently," Roku added, "there is nothing for us in Ferox and Ylisse back home. After this war, we are remaining here."

Selena looked clearly uncomfortable and displeased with this information. "So what? Am I not good enough for you? Is that what it is, huh? Just because I came from a different place with a different Lon'qu…" She was shaking visibly at this point, and Roku recognized the signs of his old daughter starting to lose her composure.

"Severa…" he muttered as he placed her hands on her shoulders, speaking in hardly more than a whisper. "Look at me."

"You're… him… but you're not him!" Selena's eyes were watery, but she was clearly fighting the good fight to keep the tears back, "It's not fair!"

"Believe me," Roku frowned, "I agree. You are hard for me to look at not because of where you're from… but because of who you are. Selena… In my world, I held you as you died in my arms. I looked at you one last time before your eyes closed for good. Now I'm seeing you almost exactly how I remember you before that… I do not know how to describe it. In a way, it is a haunting memory of my failure. I failed to save you, Severa. While I cannot disavow my feelings for Zenzi at this point, I care for you, and for your well-being, even in this faraway land. I apologize in advance that I cannot be the father you want me to be here… but I want you to know that… you can speak to me whenever you like."

"Still… being with Laslow's mom is kind of weird to me, but I guess I can deal with it…" Selena gave a powerful sniff as if to prove she had held off the tears. "Which reminds me. Laslow is Inigo. I dunno if anyone told you that or not."

This time it was Zenzi that looked concerned.

"I… can see why our relationship would make you uncomfortable then…" Zenzi put her gentle hand up to Selena's cheek, "but… but please understand. Our bond did not form out of disloyalty to Gaius or to Cordelia… by the time we got together… they were both…" she trailed off and sighed. Those memories hurt her the same way they hurt Roku.

"I'll live," Selena took a deep breath, "and thanks for everything, I guess, or whatever. Don't tell anyone about this though, you hear?"

"Not a word," Roku nodded, "especially not about the tears." He did not smile, but raised an eyebrow in a knowing way, and Selena caught the cue, her eyes widening in horror for the briefest of seconds.

"WHAT!?" she gawked, "I wasn't about to cry or anything! I think it's something weird-smelling on your clothes, Roku… you might want to check that out! Or maybe just buy new clothes? Maybe I can take you shopping for once."

"I'll consider it," Roku nodded as Selena stormed off in a huff. Despite the seemingly negative note the two left on, Roku knew Selena's quirks and knew that this was one of the many times where she meant the opposite of what she had said. There was some humble vulnerability in her that made Roku a bit nostalgic, before he turned to Zenzi.

"So your son is here too then," he frowned.

"I'll be okay," Zenzi signed, slumping to her knees as if in defeat, "I guess I kind of just didn't think about how much I missed home until I saw her again though…"

"If you wish to return there after this war," Roku put a hand to her chin, trying to coax the pink-haired swordmaster back to her feet, "all you have to do for me to be at your side is ask."

"No," Zenzi shook her head as she rose back to her feet. "I would rather remain in Hoshido—and I would very much love for you to be at my side for it."

Roku cracked a rare half-smile. "I hoped you would say that," he gave her an approving nod. He did not say it, but it gave him a sense of comfort to know that there was at least one woman in this army that he did not grow uncomfortable around. Zenzi was familiar; Zenzi was home. Zenzi was a comforting presence both for him and for those around her. It was one of the many things he liked about her.

"Let's get back before anyone else notices we're missing," Zenzi chuckled sheepishly. Roku nodded, and the two returned to the castle together.

It seemed that Camilla was not joking about her intent of staying in the bath for 16 hours, for when Kamui came in a while later to rest off a bit of alcohol intoxication, she found Camilla with her eyes closed, appearing to be asleep. Deciding that she'd give her favourite sister a bit of playful attention, she slithered into the spring to Camilla's right, and glanced at her face. She looked so serene with how she was resting, but in true annoying little sister fashion, Kamui leaned right up next to Camilla and licked her face, from her lower jawbone up to just below her right eye.

Camilla actually jumped, reeling from the surprise as she shook her head and rubbed her eyes. The shriek she had made was also uncharacteristic, but Kamui's laughter seemed to calm her down remarkably quick.

"Sorry," Kamui laughed, "I couldn't help myself."

"Well, if it was anyone else I'd probably have cut their throat," Camilla warned, "but since it's just you, I'm going to nuzzle you."

Kamui squeaked before finding her face being shoved into Camilla's bosom. "Don't interrupt my beauty sleep again, baby sister," she teased, nipping one of the points of Kamui's ears.

Kamui hissed, especially because Camilla didn't let go. "I do what I want! Ow!" she squeaked.

"And so do I…" She released Kamui's ear and put her arms around her instead. "

"You don't know how much it means to me to have you back with us, Camilla." Kamui sighed in relief. "I mean, barring that I nearly drank myself into a stupor every day."

"Well, I certainly wasn't fond of being possessed," Camilla shook her head, "But don't worry. Momma Camilla's here… and she's here to stay."

Kamui nodded, but otherwise embraced Camilla and the silence around them. It was true what she said—Camilla was here with them, and she was here to stay.


	70. Chapter 70: A Princess' Wiles

**AUTHOR'S NOTES:** _I love Oboro. She's one of the most well-written characters in the game and she has so many exciting dynamics with or against so many of the others in the cast that she is easily the funnest character to write for me. Camilla is also extremely fun to write as well, and it's no mystery that these two are going to interact a lot. Camilla is very sociable, and she already has a slight history with Oboro considering her brief time in Hoshido before Mikoto's death. Either way, here's the big seven-zero. Sorry it's a couple hours late.  
Happy Reading!_

 **CHAPTER 70: A Princess' Wiles  
**

 _Sing with me a song of Roses and Thorns…_

It was unclear if Camilla actually kept her promise of staying 16 hours in the hot spring, but whatever the case, no one, not even her retainers or Kamui, saw her anywhere else during that time. She eventually got up and out, and strode to the castle in nothing but her bathing suit to go examine her new quarters. Corrin and Takumi both saw her as they passed, and both of them could not help but let their eyes follow her form for a moment. The only other witness was Reina, who snickered as she noticed the boys.

"Fewer things are more arousing than a beautiful person who can fight, are they not?" she commented, making both Corrin and Takumi jump. They had not seen her behind them.

"Reina!?" Corrin obviously wasn't going to act on what he saw, but he was a man and attracted to women—and Camilla had clearly aimed to be seen.

"That's not…" Takumi also stammered, his face reddening as fast as Corrin's.

"Come now," Reina almost interrupted them with a chuckle, "is it not invigorating and exciting to lay eyes on a powerful woman who could eviscerate her enemies and fill the air with their screams as she soaks her garments in their blood?" She was by no means flirting with the boys who were nearly half her age, but she also had no reservations with speaking her mind about what she liked or didn't like.

The awkward silence made her continue. "I suppose for me it would be a man that I would look for, but that's beside the point. I makes me wonder if that fellow from Kohga is still around..."

"Are you familiar with Camilla then?" Corrin asked, trying to shift the subject.

"I'm familiar with the elder two siblings from Nohr," Reina explained, "I have skirmished against Prince Xander's troops in the past, and I had a rather invigorating battle in the skies against Princess Camilla. I'd certainly love to risk my life for another opportunity like that again. Princess Camilla is an elegant and cruel woman on the battlefield. I tremble with excitement to imagine how vicious she will be at my ripe age. Perhaps I'll have to ask her to slay me herself when the time comes to return to the earth."

"That's… really morbid." Corrin shuddered. "And while I respect your opinion, I really hope you don't die on us, Reina. I really hope no one in this army dies."

"Oh no, even if I were to end my life at the end of Princess Camilla's blade, it would not be for decades at the least," Reina chortled, "Until then, you have my spear, Lord Corrin."

She paused, as if waiting for the right moment to continue.

"And my support if you decide to eye the ladies as they come out of the bathhouse." she giggled. "Mmm… perhaps Orochi's cheekiness is rubbing off on me."

"That's totally not what we were doing!" Takumi defended himself.

"If you say so…" Reina chuckled, "I wouldn't fret about it, Lord Takumi. What you like or dislike is for you and you alone to decide. Never let anyone tell you otherwise."

She pivoted rather gracefully on her heel and headed up towards the castle, catching up with the scantily-clad Camilla.

"Well, well…" she eyed the castle, speaking out loud as she became aware of Reina's presence, "Kamui certainly pulled out all the stops, didn't she?"

"Wait until you see the plans she has for fortifications," Reina grinned, "perhaps you and I can take the night watch one of these evenings, where we can slay our enemies side by side…"

"Hmm," Camilla smirked as she pushed open the magnificent doors, "perhaps we'll have to have another fight like the one we had at the border…"

"Oh, you know me well, princess!" Reina cooed, "although I think Prince Takumi is guilty of slaying your mount in the battle on the seas, is he not?"

"The beauty of Marzia is that she's not actually dead, because she wasn't actually alive," Camilla giggled, "You can't kill an undead dragon. She'll be back as soon as I perform the ritual."

"My, my…" Reina licked her lips, "that is a delightfully morbid thought. Yes, yes, we will get along swimmingly, wouldn't you say?"

"Very much so," Camilla stretched, "perhaps in the meantime we could try out New Kamui's sparring grounds—your spear against my sword."

"Oh yes," Reina shivered with delight, "though I'd hate to injure you this early on. Get some rest, child; you'll know where to find me."

"Darling, I more or less just took a 16-hour siesta in the hotspring," Camilla laughed, "but, very well. 'Twas a pleasure speaking with you, Reina. You're a worthy adversary."

"And you as well, Princess Camilla," Reina smiled, "the passion you weild reminds me of when I was your age. It makes me feel 20 years younger!"

With that, Reina left and Camilla found her room in the castle with minimal difficulty. Unsurprisingly, she was in the room next to Kamui's, and almost as if it had been remodelled for that specific purpose (Kamui might have used the dragon veins for this purpose), there was a door connecting the two rooms. Fortunately, Camilla decided to get dressed before dropping in on Kamui, where she found the little dragon-girl at her desk penning out some sort of story.

"And what might my sweet sister be writing this time?" she cooed, seating herself on the corner of Kamui's desk, "you do realize that if you kill off the Sky Knight I will never let you live it down."

"I didn't know you read _Dancers and Diviners_ ," Kamui glanced up at Camilla, "why did you have to pick the crappiest one of my books to read? Why not The _Hero in Hoshido_? Or maybe _Wild in Windmire_? Everyone knows _Dancers and Diviners_ is trash."

"Darling, I know you," Camilla teased, "and _Wild in Windmire_ is a pretty thinly veiled retelling of my own stories there. I think with _Dancers and Diviners_ it's because you've somehow managed to make one of the most enthralling characters out of that dancer."

"Come on, you know that's fluff," Kamui shook her head.

"I think that's what I enjoy about it, actually," Camilla ruffled Kamui's thick purple curls, "sometimes in the heat of it all it's nice just to take a breather and enjoy the smaller things in life. Take me for example. You know how I fight, and yet you also know how adamant I am about my bathtime. It's a delicate balance."

"I just think you enjoy prancing around in your underwear," Kamui retorted. "I think what makes me so skeptical about this practice is that you also tend to leave your heels on."

"I do not!" Camilla put her hand to her chest, feigning offense. "Oh who am I kidding, of course I do! What do you think you're going to be able to do about it?" she nuzzled Kamui and nibbled her ear again, just like old times.

"Camilla, not now," Kamui laughed, fearing that she would make good on her promise of disrobing, and that knowing how luck and circumstance worked, it would be the exact moment that someone like Takumi, Corrin or Saizo walked in.

Almost as if she called it, there was a knock on her door a moment later.

"Come in," Kamui didn't even turn around, and thus Camilla was still dressed when the door opened. Instead of it being Saizo or Takumi, however, it was Oboro.

"Oh, Lady Camilla," Oboro smiled, although there was something slightly off about it, as if she was forcing it. "It's good having you back here."

"I wondered where my favourite little fashionista had gone," Camilla cooed, rising to her feet. She reached into her bra and pulled out a pouch of coins, tossing it to her. Oboro caught it before realizing what it was. Right as she gave Camilla a questioning look, Camilla explained.

"That dress I took from you when I was in Hoshido before Queen Mikoto's tragedy," she clarified, "obviously that and the unpleasant scenario that followed on the Hoshidan plains kind of set me back a few weeks on my promise… but I remain a woman of my word."

"Payment…" Oboro counted the coins before realizing just how generous a price Camilla had paid for the kimono. "Lady Camilla, I…"

"Hmm?" Camilla cooed, "didn't expect a Nohrian to keep her word?"

"It's not…" Oboro flushed, only for Camilla to giggle.

"Darling, I jest," she shook her head.

"She does," Kamui added, "but I take it you two are catching up? How about giving me some privacy so I don't have to tell Oboro here what happens in book 4 of _Dancers_ …"

Oboro gasped and practically yanked Camilla into the hall, closing Kamui's door as they went. Almost as if Oboro had inadvertently called for him by approaching Kamui's door, they ran into Jakob heading the same way.

"Oh, milady Camilla," he kept his usual tone, "A word, if you would?"

"By all means," Camilla cooed. "If you're looking for my darling Kamui, she's in her room."

"Well," Jakob nodded, "That simplifies my search for the wild child. I think you for your assistance in locating my liege, Lady Camilla."

"Truly she is not that difficult to find," Camilla chortled, "although out of curiosity, what did you need my darling Kamui for?"

"Other than serving as her loyal butler as you surely already know," Jakob responded, "It was actually a very personal matter involving a young knight by the name of Silas…" He raised his eyebrows, almost as if wordlessly communicating something with Camilla. "Do take care now, princess. It is pleasant to have you back—especially considering that milady no longer stresses about your absence."

And with that, Jakob was gone. However, this time Camilla and Oboro exchanged looks, both of them having read Jakob's facial language.

"What could be very personal between Silas and Lady Kamui?" Oboro turned to Camilla, asking the question more rhetorically than anything.

"And here I thought my dear little sister was too boorish to ever attract a man that she didn't want to put an axe through," Camilla laughed, "we'll have to arrange something for them. I think your tailoring skills would come quite in handy for this, Oboro dear."

"I know just the thing!" Oboro grinned, seizing Camilla's hand again and almost pulling her as she strode down the hall towards her studio, "but wait… what if it's not what we think it is?"

"Then we laugh it off and offer Kamui a drink," Camilla giggled.

"Well, I know that much," Oboro nodded, "but I mean—I'm kind of sentimental with some of my projects… and I'd hate to see them go to waste."

"I see your point…" Camilla put a finger to her chin, "and Kamui's figure isn't really comparable to any of the other women here except maybe your own, but even then, you're a bit taller."

"And Lady Kamui won't let me get her measurements!" Oboro complained, "I never thought I'd have such a close friend that was so adamant about dressing like a boorish thug."

"Persistence helps," Camilla pointed out, "speaking from experience on that, mind you. You just have to be relentless, and she'll eventually cave."

"I dunno…" Oboro thought about Mozu, and wondered if Kamui was harboring anything dark like that in her past. She assumed so, more due to her own prejudice against Nohr, but since she couldn't be sure, she didn't want to make brash assumptions.

"Don't worry, darling," Camilla laughed, "Kamui's a very stubborn and hard-headed girl. Persistence is key for her, but this time you'll have my support. In the meantime though, you can outfit me however you'd like…"

"Really?" Oboro's eyes lit up as if she had been hoping for Camilla to say that at some point, "are you necessarily against spending the rest of the evening here?"

"Spending the entire evening playing dress-up with a cute little fashionista like you?" Camilla cooed, "oh no, dear. This is a privilege that I'd happily volunteer for on a regular basis. I pay well for beautiful things, and you've already got a reputation with me."

Briefly, Oboro's mind flashed back to the notion of having a reputation in Nohr, and she shuddered. The last time her family had tried to give their business a reputation in Nohr, it had gone literally about as bad as things could have gone. She dismissed these thoughts, and did her best to conceal her slight change of emotion.

"I hope you mean that," Oboro licked her lips, letting her trademark smirk return to her visage,. "Let me show you what I've got…"

Almost as if she was waiting for the big reveal, Oboro slid the door open to reveal a rather bright and magnificent little studio. Her work was about to begin.


	71. Chapter 71: Now That's Strategy

**AUTHOR'S NOTES:** _Perhaps I'll just make this time of night my regular Monday update time. Either way, he's our next chapter as we get to meet our old Awakening heroine as she interacts with our good friend Corrin. It also makes a callback to chapter 31 where Camilla mentioned that her retainer (Arozza) had a 'strategy board'. This board is a call-out to the same game of strategy that F!Robin and Virion play in their supports. One of the nicknames I give it in this story might also be a shoutout to Fire Emblem Heroes. Either way, I'd love as much feedback as anyone is willing to give me, and don't forget the poll about 'Dancers and Diviners' if you haven't voted.  
Happy Reading!_

 **CHAPTER 71: Now That's Strategy**

 _Sing with me a song of Mystery and Tact…_

New Kamui was far from idle during Camilla's lengthy bath, and even after Corrin and Takumi were "caught" by Reina by watching Camilla. Her retainers had gone their own ways in the castle, with Beruka going off by herself, Selena finding a room near Roku and Zenzi, and Arozza actually rooming not far from Corrin.

Incidentally, as Corrin was trying to 'recover' from the slight embarrassment he had of staring at Camilla's backside as she strode from the bathhouse to the castle in nothing but her bathing suit, he ran into Arozza, recognizing the woman right away from her long white hair.

"Oh, Lord Corrin," Arozza gave a respectful bow-like gesture, "did you need something?"

"I don't think we've properly met," Corrin began, "Camilla spoke to me a little about you during her brief visit to Hoshido, but as leader of this army, I like to try and get to know my comrades more personally rather than just by name. Obviously, erm… not in *that* way, per se. But it's nice to get to know people, wouldn't you say?"

While he didn't imagine himself becoming romantic with Arozza, he didn't necessarily rule it out either. His friendship with Kagero could very well just remain at friends, and he'd be okay with that. He was not the type to try and force an intimate relationship. Arozza was also very pretty. Her long white hair was enthralling in a way, and there was a passionate glint in her expressions. The way she carried herself emanated intelligence and professionalism, and despite the Nohrian motifs, she adhered to the time-honoured tradition as a female swordmaster, leaving her legs bare from thigh to knee. That wasn't exactly hard on Corrin's eyes either.

Fortunately for both parties (who would have inevitably made it super awkward), no comments were made and Corrin's eyes darted from Arozza's bare thighs back to her face where they met her brown ones.

"I'd like that, actually." Arozza smiled, "I imagine you'd rather us find a place to sit down rather than spill all of our secrets in the middle of the castle mezzanine, yeah?"

"Lead the way," Corrin smiled as Arozza headed for her quarters, "that reminds me. Camilla mentioned something about you having a "strategy board". I'm curious about that."

"Oh, it's a rather intriguing game," Arozza smiled, "if you want me to teach you the rules, I'm sure that wouldn't take long. It's similar to chess. They have that game in Hoshido, right?"

"Of course," Corrin looked a touch insulted.

"Sorry," Arozza blushed, "I just wanted to make sure. Still… strategy is a fun game that needs a better name, especially since it's all the rage in Nohr. I've heard it called Summoner's Pastime, and I swear there's a hidden meaning there, but I can't for the love of me figure out what the connection is."

"Whichever you'd like to call it works for me," Corrin smiled as Arozza reached her room. Already she had organized it in such a way that reminded him of his treehouse. Little figurines lined the shelves, and the rest of the walls were covered in bookshelves. Corrin briefly wondered where all these books came from, but decided not to think too hard on it. On a small table, he saw a gridlike board with pieces almost like chessmen, except he could see the distinct form of units such as pegasus riders, wyvern knights, cavalry, mages, berserkers, spearmen, and many more. To the side, he also noticed a stack of images that looked like landscapes and maps.

"Is this the game?" He asked, walking towards it.

"It is," Arozza seemed a little proud of herself, "Sorry if anything looks shoddy. Clearly when the gods distributed artistic talent I was in the outhouse."

"Nonsense," Corrin exclaimed. If Arozza had lacked in artistic skills at any time in her life, those days were long behind her. The figurines were small, but very accurate renditions of the soldiers and units they were supposed to represent. Similarly, the landscapes that looked like elements of her board were beautifully constructed. The craft of the pieces reminded Corrin of his chessmen, where his mind briefly wandered back to his games against Camilla, where she had used the Mikoto-shaped queen to devastate his army. He wondered how skilled Arozza was, especially if her reputation as a tactician was as true as Camilla claimed.

"Care for a drink?" Arozza asked, "Lady Kamui was most benevolent to add a bar to these grounds. I wouldn't have expected a place looking as Hoshidan as this to have Nohrian whiskey."

"I'll pass, thank you," Corrin declined politely, "my sister drinks enough for me, my siblings, my retainers, and then some."

Arozza giggled. "No worries; I'm sure Zul or Garrett would love to have a drinking game with those two. You know who else is a surprisingly powerful drinker?"

"Who," Corrin tilted his head. "

"Your retainer Zenzi," Arozza laughed, "she's no alcoholic, but if you can somehow convince her to join a drinking contest, she'll pack shots away like a boss."

"How do you know her?" Corrin looked a little surprised. He had never met Arozza before until now, but somehow Arozza knew his retainer. "Do you know Roku as well?

 _"I do, actually,"_ Arozza nodded. _"And those aren't their real names. Roku is a man named Lon'qu, Zenzi is a woman named Olivia, and my real name is Robin…"_ she thought to herself. She almost wanted to tell Corrin where she came from. Ferox and Ylisse were not cursed the way Valla was, but at the same time, trying to explain all of that, especially without mentioning Anankos, who was the one who brought them here from their desolate world in the first place, would just make things way too complicated and create more questions.

"We came here together," she spoke out loud again, "but we got separated at the border in the Bottomless Canyon. The invisible soldiers split us up, and they were forced towards Hoshido while I was forced towards Nohr. I think you know the rest of this story."

"Aye," Corrin nodded, "and I hope I do not come off as too forward with this, but would you mind teaching me this game of strategy? Or Summoner's Pastime, or whatever you may call it?"

"I'd love to," Arozza smiled as she took the board and pieces. She explained each one, similar to soldiers on a battlefield, and explained the objective. They were playing their first game in only a few minutes from their first lesson. Arozza still came out on top the first few games, but it was clear that Corrin's own skills were improving.

"Be careful," Arozza warned with a kind smile, "your General can hold the line well, but the wily assassin can slip through his ranks." She moved a small, crouched piece with a knife in its hand, "and I don't know if you read your sister's books or not, but even the little dancers can serve as wily enemies."

Three moves later and Corrin's army was crippled from Arozza's attacks, but Corrin made a surprising comeback by using his general to annihilate Arozza's dancers and clerics.

"Sometimes, it's the seemingly inconspicuous soldiers that make for the most devastating threats," he pointed out as he prodded a Wyvern Knight towards the last of Arozza's Troubadours, "have you seen my little sister Sakura? She's a good example of this."

"I've heard much about her, but I'm sure meeting her in person will tell me much more about her—and much more truth than Nohrian spies can share."

Corin nodded as they continued to play. Arozza was silent for a little while, but it seemed she enjoyed a touch of pleasant conversation as she played just as Corrin did.

"I was a tactician of my own army once," Arozza began, "It… things spiralled out of my control, and that army is gone now. But before the cataclysms that took my home came, it was not much different from the army you lead, actually."

"I've never heard of any cataclysms that wiped out armies on Ferevs…" Corrin shrugged, "well, unless these invisible enemies we're facing are going to lead up to something like that. Was your predicament similar?"

"In some ways, aye; and in others, no." Arozza explained as she prodded a dancer towards one of her Lords, and then had said Lord move forward several spaces and wipe out one of Corrin's Heroes. "They were risen soldiers; puppets revived from the dead, but they were visible, and we didn't have to keep the name a secret. Anyways, rather than dwell on the tragedies I came to Ferevs to escape, I was wondering about your own confidence as a leader."

"Is this where I get judged by a former tactician on my own abilities?" Corrin quipped.

"Nothing so fanciful, Lord Corrin" Arozza giggled, "I was more just wondering if you've ever worried about the role, the way I used to."

"Well, you're showing regret over something that apparently wasn't even your fault," Corrin pointed out as he moved another Hero into place to eliminate Arozza's dancer, "but yes, actually. I have the same concerns as anyone else might have. I worry what might happen if someone dies or is disabled on my watch. I wonder if I'm truly worthy to lead. I mean, fortunately I don't question these things at every breathing moment, but I worry about them. I am their leader but also their equal. These are my friends, my family, and some perhaps even a little more than friends." he paused, his cheeks flushing a little at the thought, "but I digress."

"I think we'll get along just fine then," Arozza smiled, "and while I don't mean to speak any ill of your sister, Lord Corrin, it's nice that she has a strong and level-headed brother to balance her out. She's admitted that a few times to me already."

"Kamui's a creature all on her own," Corrin chuckled, "but I suppose that's a topic for another time. Come; I nearly have this game in the bag…"

They were in the middle of their 6th game when the doors to Arozza's room flew clean off their hinges, with a rather triumphant-looking Kamui standing where they had been.

"Sister, was that TRULY necessary?" Corrin rolled his eyes.

"You're damn right it was," Kamui beamed, "I'll fix 'em later. Sorry about that, Roz. Anyhoo, you two oughta come see this. I've finished the fortifications for New Kamui."

"With Dragon Veins, I take it? Corrin raised an eyebrow.

"Well I'm pretty sure no one wanted to do it manually when the option's here," Kamui retorted, "but hey, at least now we'll know if there's an invasion coming."

"This oughta be good," Arozza raised her eyebrows. She and Kamui had not interacted much due to Arozza spending most of her time with the other retainers at Castle Krakenburg, but she knew Kamui's general personality and behaviour, as well as her striking reputation.

"Well of course it will," Kamui quipped, "I built it."

The interior of New Kamui didn't look much different at all except the presence of a few more towers in a surprisingly orderly fashion. The exterior, however, was lined with enormous walls and fortifications, and gates the size of small houses. And of course, in typical Kamui fashion, there were dragon motifs scattered periodically across these structures, overall giving the exterior of the castle a rather daunting appearance, concealing the true calmness and sanctuary within. Kamui looked absolutely smug.

"Well?" she beamed.

"Other than the fact that it's a bit over-the-top," Corrin nodded as they returned to the safety of the walls, "it's actually rather nice, sister."

"Awesome," Kamui smirked, "because believe it or not, it's time for a drink. Maybe I'll go harass my sister or convince Oboro to come along. See you around…"

For a moment, Corrin stood in silence as Kamui walked off. He was pleased to see her in such high spirits again, knowing that this drink was more celebratory rather than drinking her troubles away. With his recent discussion with Arozza, he also felt that he was warming up to some of the first actual Nohrians—and that was a trend he hoped would continue.


	72. Chapter 72: Silver and Black

**AUTHOR'S NOTES:** _This is a bit of a fluff chapter, and so if my Oboro chapters aren't really your thing, this chapter might not be for you. Either way, there's important character and story development hidden within that fluff, because Oboro knows things to tell Camilla, and Camilla knows a great deal about this mysterious Exalted One that seems to be hellbent on ruining the lives of everyone in Ferevs. They'll have plenty to gossip about, and plenty of secrets to share. Suffice to say, they'll both eventually make fantastic bridesmaids (and brides) someday.  
Happy Reading!_

 **CHAPTER 72: Silver and Black**

 _Sing with me a song of Passion and Style…_

While her pride might not have let her admit such a thing so openly, Oboro was fond of Camilla, and had been fond of her since meeting in Hoshido. The attack against her family during their visit to Nohr that had turned her life upside-down had not only left a sour taste in Oboro's mouth, but also gave her the impression that they were all barbaric savages with little regard to fashion and the finer things in life.

Of course it should have been common sense that the beautiful princess of Nohr would be a cut or two above the barbarians and thugs. Oboro often cursed herself for the way her prejudice against Nohr clouded her judgment, and seeing Camilla in the flesh was one of those times. Still, she couldn't help but be proud and full of anxious anticipation as Camilla stepped into her little studio. She sincerely hoped Camilla liked what she saw—not because of who she was as a customer, but because it was rare enough to find someone who shared a passion like hers.

Camilla cast her eyes around the little room and her smile grew as her eyes drifted casually over the vast array of beautiful fabrics covering two of the walls, which appeared to be organized by color and type. Along the 3rd wall was a long line of various articles hung up in some sort of order that Camilla could not tell from her angle, and the wall nearest to them had mirrors and a vanity of sorts. Oboro might have primarily designed clothes, but she also went out of the way to make sure her clients could complete the look.

"My, my…" Camilla put her hand to her chest, "if this is what you're going to subject me to, then I'll be here all day whether you like it or not!" her tone was clear enough for Oboro to realize she was joking, but at the same time, there was a level of mutual understanding between the two of them that had Oboro at ease.

"Right," Oboro smiled, "so this time I'd actually like to get your measurements proper so I can make you something worthy of the amount of gold you gave me. Not that I wasn't also a bit proud of that last one, but that was more something that I assumed was around your size."

"It was a little snug around the chest," Camilla chuckled, "but nothing that I'd actually lodge a complaint about. Either way, I'm yours to measure and undress how you will."

"Uhh…" Oboro scratched the back of her head, "I actually think I'll let you disrobe on your own if that's alright, Lady Camilla."

Camilla just giggled and began to undress. Her remark had more been to get a reaction, and so on that front it was successful. Otherwise, it was mostly just a banterous remark that she might make with the likes of Kamui rather than actually hitting on Oboro.

She had expected Camilla to be curvaceous, but figured that some of it had probably come from her outfit. A little of it had, but not much, as Oboro now realized.

"You… have an incredible figure…" Oboro stared for a moment, not so much from attraction as much as already starting to make mental images of the sort of clothing that would look good on her. She did tilt her head and raise an eyebrow when Camilla strapped on a pair of heels, however, despite her otherwise state of undress.

"Dresses and heels go together in Nohr like steam and a bathhouse," Camilla chortled, "and they can do wonders for shaping your lower body a little bit in ways that men seem to love." She leaned over and whispered something into Oboro's ear, following up by giving the Hoshidan's backside a light squeeze. Oboro went redder than Hinoka's hair before shooting Camilla a fiery look as she realized what had just happened.

"That… Lady Camilla was that… TRULY… truly necessary?"

"Stand on your tippytoes if you don't believe me," Camilla winked, "but I apologize, darling. Please, do continue. I'm your canvas to paint as you will…"

"Right, right…" Oboro composed herself, "but please don't grab my butt again." Her mind did wander to a thought or two of a different pair of hands there, but she shook those daydreams away as she began measuring different parts and regions of Camilla's body. Despite Camilla's little stunt, as well as her state of undress, Oboro acted very professionally, and her left eye only twitched once as she briefly remembered that Camilla was a Nohrian, but shook off that hateful memory by reminding herself that Camilla was her friend.

Naturally, Camilla was not really one for silence, and so as she stood up straight or spread her arms while Oboro jotted down a series of numbers, the two began to chat.

"So, forgive me if this is insensitive at all, Lady Camilla," Oboro began, "but I'm curious about something. Are you familiar at all with the Exalted One, apart from what Lord Corrin has shared with all of us?" She trailed off, trying to gauge Camilla's expression. She did not fear Camilla, but she was wary around her because of her reputation (from Kamui's tall tales at least) and because Camilla was still in all respects her superior.

"I know far too much about that vile woman," Camilla scoffed, "She has my father and my country on strings like a puppet."

"So why can't we all just band up against her then?" Oboro spread Camilla's arms, also wrapping her measuring tape around her hips, bust, and then down her legs as she jotted down precise numbers and translating that into lengths of fabric, "I mean, obviously it can't be that simple, but…"

"There's a certain invisible kingdom that she's deeply involved with that makes her untouchable," Camilla explained, "it's actually bloody brilliant, but it's also infuriating to be so close and know that there's nothing you can do about it. To get to her, we're going to have to go through the common enemy first. Until then, she has countless puppets at her disposal."

"I hope I didn't just kill the mood," Oboro apologized, also feeling a little down about the helplessness of the current situation, "The idea of Nohr being manipulated by such a wicked woman makes me worry that Nohr will go off and do more terrible things—and possibly to other people I really care about."

"No, it's perfectly reasonable to be angry at this," Camilla's own teeth gritted for a moment, "but no, you're right. I'm frankly more interested right now in learning what you're going to adorn me in. It's certainly a happier thought than considering the current helplessness of our situation and that half of our families are still under her control…"

"Right, right." Oboro snapped out of her little mood and got to work putting together an elaborate silky gown adorned with blacks and reds, with patterns that seemed almost otherworldly. Despite the obvious Nohrian design, there were a slew of Hoshidan motifs woven quite literally into the gown as well, and it was clear that this project of hers had been something she had been working on for a while. Oboro made an adjustment here and an adjustment there to get it to fit Camilla's figure, but after a while she grew excited as she felt like it was ready to give to Camilla to try on.

"I apologize for how long it took," she chuckled a little nervously, "I just want to make sure everything's just right for you, Lady Camilla."

"No worries, dear," Camilla giggled, "I quite enjoy relaxing in my undergarments. Usually my darling sister lectures me on it even." This was a slight exaggeration, but in truth Camilla had not been bothered by the wait at all, nor was she even remotely ashamed of her body—a trait that she shared a bit too brazenly with Kamui.

Oboro snorted. "Lady Kamui is NOT one to talk about nudity."

"Oh?" Camilla stifled a laugh, "what did she do?"

"What hasn't she done at this point?" Oboro shook her head, "but if possible, can you tell her to PLEASE stop running from the bathhouse to the castle in nothing but her skin? For fuck's sake, I've seen her naked more than I'm willing to count."

Camilla howled with laughter as she imagined Kamui running defiantly around the castle without a stitch on her body. "That does sound like her. Don't worry—I know just the thing to help cure her of that habit."

"You've piqued my interest," Oboro quipped.

"I'll threaten her with shoes," Camilla laughed, "she's militant enough about not wearing them that I swore on my mother's terrible name that I'd get her to wear some at some point whether she liked it or not—and that she'd otherwise be naked."

Oboro stifled a snort, but Camilla's wording also intrigued her.

"Your mother's terrible name?" She looked up at Camilla.

"Oh, I quite passionately hate my mother." Camilla said this nonchantly enough to throw Oboro off guard for a moment, "she's a wicked little piece of work hell-bent on using me and anyone else she can get her tainted hands on. "For perspective… as cruel as my father Garon can be… I'd take a week with him over a day with my mother. That's how much I despise her."

Oboro mumbled as she let herself get lost in thought. Camilla intrigued her, especially as she realized that while Camilla's parents (or at least her father) were still alive, that she had no love for them the way she had had with her parents before their untimely deaths. Fortunately her thoughts were turned from Camilla's opinions to her appearance, as she donned the beautiful gown Oboro had presented her.

Perhaps humorously, she was more excited to see Camilla than Camilla herself. "Gods… you look amazing, Lady Camilla! I…see for yourself!" She was giddy and having trouble hiding it. She had not felt this excited with herself in a long time, and with her emotions all over the place from their conversation and situation, she considered staying silent for a moment as Camilla checked herself out in the large mirror.

"My, my, darling, you have utterly outdone yourself this time!" she beamed, striking a pose or two. "This makes me want to go out on the town or do something wild…"

"Well." Oboro smiled, her face flush with an excitement of knowing Camilla loved the gown as much as Oboro was proud of having made it, "I've got plenty to wear, and even something that would match your colors. Wait right there!"

Oboro wasted no time in proving that she was truly the fastest at changing clothes, emerging less than a minute later from behind a divider wearing an orange and silver robe.

"My, my…" Camilla was the one to look surprised this time. The lighter colors were not her thing, but they looked fantastic on Oboro, serving as a nice contrast to her navy-blue hair. "Now we simply HAVE to go out somewhere, even if it's just on the town. I know the Cheve region like the back of my hand, and I do need someone to bring me up to date on what my darling Kamui and his baby brother have been up to…"

"You do know Lord Corrin is the older of the two, right?" Oboro chuckled.

"Of course," Camilla laughed, "but even then I feel like she bosses him around more than he bosses her. Still, I'm sure we'll have plenty to gossip over in the next couple of hours…"

"Well then," This time Oboro licked her lips, "lead on, Princess Camilla."

Oboro's hatred of Nohr was by no means gone, but she knew in her heart that she couldn't deny any longer that this woman, a Nohrian princess, was her friend. In fact, right alongside Takumi, Hinata, and Kamui, Oboro Fukui considered Camilla Kumenacht to be one of her best friends. Queen Mikoto's dreams of a united Ferevs were perhaps not as far away as they seemed...


	73. Chapter 73: Waking Nightmare Hoshido

**AUTHOR'S NOTES:** _And now we take a slightly darker turn as we get ready to advance the plot again. I've mentioned a few times that I've had alternative ideas for this story, were it to be based off of Birthright or Conquest (and might still someday write one or both of those versions). Either way, it would be very different from the awful writing of either of those games, for better or for worse. Whatever the case, here's a bit of Takumi and Sakura before we move on.  
Happy Reading!_

 **CHAPTER 73: Waking Nightmare Hoshido**

 _Sing with me a song of Warnings and Wars…_

Few people would complain about the quality of life in New Kamui. The royals from both kingdoms were obviously familiar with castle life, and Lilith and Kamui had done a fantastic job at constructing a beautiful and hospitable castle that had room for everyone and then some. Those that were from lower social stations naturally found it all rather amazing, since a lot of it was luxuries most of them could previously only dream of.

And yet for some people, the largest threats were in their own heads. Kamui's fortifications might have done well thus far at keeping invaders out (or so everyone figured), but waking nightmares were a prevalent force among many members of Corrin's army.

Takumi had had a history of these sorts of terrors since his childhood, and so to have another one was not suddenly unusual. It did not, however, ease the pain and the fear that came with witnessing whatever horrors his mind concocted.

In the 18 years he had been alive on Ferevs, however, he could not think of a dream or vision as terrifying as the one he had that night.

He was in the foyer outside the Hoshidan Throne Room, high up on the top floor of Castle Shirasagi, except he wasn't actually there. He was less an actor in the dream and more just a witness. He saw Camilla throw Hinoka's decapitated head in front of Garon, and she was flanked by Xander and Kamui. He saw Kamui confront Ryoma in single combat, and saw him suffer a similar fate as Hinoka. Even after he ended his own life by impaling himself upon his own sword, he watched as Kamui added insult to injury and took off his head the same way they had taken off Hinoka's some time before their dream.

"Excellent," Garon smirked, picking up Ryoma's sword with ease. "This will make a fine addition to my new collection…" He set it to the side, where a Wishblade, a Fujin Yumi, and a Dawn Yato, all flecked with blood sat motionlessly. Clearly Takumi had already died, and Corrin as well. That explained at least why he couldn't even shout, or why he could not intervene, but even then, he wondered what drove these Nohrians, some of which were in the very castle Takumi was sleeping in at this moment, to such levels of madness and depravity.

" _Ryoma… Hinoka… Corrin…"_ Takumi shook his head, _"they butchered us like animals! What did they do to little Sakura… where is she?"_

That alarmed him almost as much as the remainder of the gruesome scene. Sakura's Cymbeline tome was nowhere to be found.

"I have conquered Hoshido," Garon stepped towards the throne with earnest, "I am ruler of Ferevs, and soon to be ruler of the known world. Leave me for a moment."

Right as Garon passed under the threshold, the doors slammed shut, and for a moment there was silence. Suddenly, Garon began laughing maniacally from behind the door, before it turned into something more like a guttural growl.

"That can't be natural," Kamui turned to Xander. A moment later Garon screamed, his deep, powerful voice thundering through the halls before it fell silent. Takumi saw the doors fling open, whether by Xander or by someone on the other side, he knew not.

He also learned why he had not seen Sakura up until this point. There, right on the throne itself, stood Sakura, carrying Garon's head, which was grotesque and starting to melt. The throne had revealed his true, dead and hideous form, and Sakura had somehow broken free and slain him in a final moment of triumph.

What was left of Garon melted away, leaving a crazed Sakura standing in front of the throne, confronting the rest of the Nohrians.

"Sakura!" Kamui gasped, "The war is over. We will rescind the kingdom of Hoshido back to your control now that the hostilities have ceased. And really… we… kind of thought you died..."

"Truly…" Sakura's voice was inhumanly low and guttural, and the more he watched, the more the sweet little Sakura he knew and loved began to morph into something far more terrifying. Black and purple particles began to form around her, almost enshrouding the girl as her eyes shone red. It was different from the glowing red eyes of those possessed by the Exalted One, and different from the natural red of Hinoka's eyes. "Is the war over merely because you got what you wished for? IS THIS WHAT YOU WANTED!?"

"NO!" Kamui roared, "but Hoshido left us no choice after they turned to invade."

"Betrayal…" Sakura growled, "Death… Murder… Betrayal…"

"I'm more intrigued as to how she escaped," Xander spoke aloud.

"Little Sakura has always been the strongest-willed of these Hoshidans," Camilla pointed out, "But she's definitely off her rocker and needs to die."

Takumi was appalled at what he was hearing, but even more terrifying than the Nohrians plotting to kill her was Sakura herself. Even as the black and purple haze continued to drift around her, her stance was lopsided and awkward, and her low, guttural voice sounded frenzied.

"I can save them…" she muttered, "I can save them…"

She looked up, her red and black eyes piercing directly into Kamui's.

"I CAN STILL SAVE THEM!"

While she was glaring at Kamui, there was something seriously wrong with Sakura's expression that all of them noticed, particularly Azura. Under the malicious appearance that she had taken on, her eyes were filled with pure, unadulterated terror.

"Ryoma…" she muttered, "Hinoka… Takumi… Corrin… I can save them all…"

She cocked her head violently towards the speechless Nohrians.

"AND I'M TAKING YOU WITH ME!" she screamed, and was suddenly wreathed in flames. The castle began to crack around them, but fortunately did not crumble.

"She knows it's over…" Azura sighed, her calmness betrayed by the despair in her voice, "and so she wishes to take us all with her…"

"We… will all be… together… again…" Sakura launched a powerful fireball from Cymbeline right at where Takumi's presence was standing, and he sat bolt upright, now awake.

This time it was he who screamed, and unlike the screams from the Sakura in his nightmare, his were very real.

"SAKURAAAAAAAA!"

Sakura was only a room over from her brother, and thus was one of the first people startled awake by Takumi's scream. She came into his room, also looking a little rattled herself.

"B-big brother… are you okay?" Naturally, her first reaction was to check up on the wellness of others before herself.

"No, it…" he stammered, staring intently at Sakura as if suspecting that she was possessed or that she was going to incinerate the room or something. While she was dressed in a lavender nightgown patterned with little red cherry blossoms, her little pink-painted toenails peeking out from the bottom hems, she otherwise looked normal and unhurt. Her expression showed fear and concern, however.

"It was the worst nightmare I've ever had." he shook his head, massaging his temples. He told Sakura the entire thing, and was even more terrified at her reaction.

"NO!" she exclaimed, "That… that's impossible."

"I know," Takumi shook his head, "I know you'd never…"

"No, it's not that…" Sakura was trembling. "I… I had the same dream."

There was literally nearly a minute of horrified silence between the two siblings as they exchanged glances and tried to process everything they had just heard and seen.

"So how did you see it?" Takumi wondered if Sakura had been herself in the dream, or if she had been an unseen audience.

"It was me… but it wasn't me…" Sakura had tears in her eyes, "I saw myself… but I knew what I was thinking. I was in agony… I thought… I thought I could save you… they killed everyone we loved, all because someone was playing us. We attacked Nohr… we became what we despised… I was driven mad by losing you, then Corrin, then Hinoka, and then Ryoma… It… waaaaugh!" Sakura threw herself on Takumi's shoulder and began crying. Takumi frankly wanted to cry a little on his own, but he steeled his resolve to stay strong for Sakura's sake.

The next three people to join them were Subaki, Corrin, and Hinata. One might have thought Subaki hadn't even gone to sleep with how immaculate he looked, but Corrin clearly had been woken up, and Hinata's half-dressed appearance made it clear he was more just checking on his liege. Behind them, a very disgruntled-looking Hana bushed through, and a dazed but dressed Oboro peeked in from behind them.

"What's going on?" Corrin looked at Sakura crying on Takumi's shoulder, his eyes meeting Takumi's, "is everyone alright?"

"We're fine…" Takumi started, "Well, unhurt. We're not fine. Something really messed up just happened to both of us."

He explained his dream to Corrin in as much detail as he could remember, watching Corrin's face grow more confused and horrified as he listened. Sakura's crying had been reduced to quiet sobs, but she refused to pull her face out of Takumi's shoulder.

"And then get this." He saved the kicker for last. "Sakura said she had the exact same dream."

Every groggy retainer in the room froze for an instant as they processed this information in a similar manner to the two siblings.

"This isn't a coincidence," Subaki warned, "it can't be."

"But what does it MEAN?" Hinata tilted his head, "I mean that's messed up, but do you think it's actually someone doing this to 'em?"

"I've got a history of nightmares," Takumi shook his head, "you all know that. If it was just me I could write it off as some fucked up nightmare. But for Sakura to not only have the same nightmare, and on the same night… something's up, and something's wrong."

Word quickly spread, and Kamui was also soon on the case. Corrin, Takumi, Sakura, and their retainers had all gone down to one of the larger common rooms to discuss the matter, and were soon joined by Kamui and Camilla, both of whom slept in their underwear, as everyone learned that moment. They seemed awake and alert, as if they had been discussing the subject for a while before coming down.

"I'm sure this doesn't look good on my part to play such a wicked role in your nightmares, dears…" Camilla began, "but apart from assuring you that it is only a dream—and one that I will personally ensure does not ever come true, mind you—I have a thought or two as to where this malevolence might have come from."

"If it's Nohrian magic, I SWEAR…" Oboro growled.

"It's not Nohrian magic."

Everyone jumped, and in the door was a blue-haired girl that looked like Azura, only that her attire covered her legs and torso.

"Chel…" Corrin spoke the girl's name. "You look quite like Azura with your hair down. Where have you been these last few days? We haven't seen you since on the boat."

"Don't worry about that," Chel shook her head, "I was in the castle at the time I heard of the nightmare, and while I dunno where it came from, I know what it was."

Dead silence filled the room as all eyes, including Azura's, were on Chel.

"It was a vision." She frowned, "A warning."

"A warning of what?" Sakura looked curious but timid.

"What you saw was the dire situation of the world if Hoshido had lost the war." Chel warned, "someone's trying to warn you about how much is truly at stake here."

"Well, maybe if Nohr would stop trying to raid and pillage us at every opportunity…" Oboro scoffed, "I mean, apologies, Lady Kamui; Lady Camilla… I don't think you would… but anyone else… Nohr really just needs to fuck off."

"No," Chel shook her head, "if Nohr loses the war, the situation is just as bad—possibly worse. I'd rather not go into detail… but odds are, someone here will get that vision soon."

"I'll mentally prepare for it, I guess." Takumi shrugged in defeat. "I can't imagine how Hoshido ending Nohr's fighting and bringing peace to Ferevs would be so bad, but hey. That's just me."

"It's… more complicated than that." Chel sighed, "I really don't want to scare you. I just want to warn you, and want you to know that it is imperative for you to win this war against the Exalted One. She may not know you know, but we saw how she works. She's going to try and tear you apart from the inside—and you must not let that happen."

"She will," Camilla warned, "When I was sent to attack you, I had a very specific objective: I was to slay my dear Kamui… but also sweet little Sakura. Now, obviously that isn't ever going to happen, but that leads me to believe that there is a pattern here. This vision with Sakura as an unholy monstrosity leads me to believe that she's a target of the Exalted One. More importantly, it just means we need to keep her safe."

"I'm not going to have people following me around for every little thing I do, am I?" Sakura looked worried, more at what Camilla said than at these prospects.

"Well, you'll have us, Lady Sakura," Hana reassured her, "but we all kind of watch out for each other around here. Besides, if this somehow does involve Lady Kamui, do you really think she'll let people trail her everywhere?"

"They can trail me all they want if they buy me drinks." Kamui quipped. "But real talk: Marzichel is onto something. I guess we should get ready to get moving as soon as we can."

"We should get some rest either way," Corrin suggested, "or try to resume it, anyways. Sakura… Takumi… just know that if you ever need anything, I'm just a few doors away."

"Right," Takumi nodded. Both of them returned to their rooms with a more solemn attitude about them—for both of them feared Marzichel's words, and feared that they'd have another nightmare about what the world would have been like if Nohr had lost the war...


	74. Chapter 74: Waking Nightmare Nohr

**AUTHOR'S NOTES:** _And now we hit the theoretical "halfway point" of the story. However, I feel now that 148 might be too lowball an estimate for the number of chapters considering their length, so it'll probably be much higher. Either way, it was inevitable that there would be a "Birthright" version of the nightmares that Takumi and Sakura saw, and so that's going to be a thing. It should be noted that Kamui is also "not all there" insomuch that the psychological abuse she faced under Garon's hand during her childhood might have knocked a few screws loose. That may or may not be why she drinks so much. That's for another time though.  
Happy Reading!_

 **CHAPTER 74: Waking Nightmare Nohr**

 _Sing with me a song of Passion and Fear…_

True to Marzichel's warning, the nightmare of Nohr losing the war hit a citizen of New Kamui the following evening. However, this time, Sakura and Takumi slept peacefully, and instead it was Camilla that was viewing the horrors as they unfolded.

Much like Takumi, Camilla was not actually present, but she watched the rather gruesome scene unfold in front of her.

Corrin was leading an army of Hoshidans through Castle Krakenburg. She had expected to find Garon in the throne room as Corrin and his army stormed it, but instead, they found a crazed Kamui perched on the throne, Garon's Bolverk in her hands. She was breathing heavily, her voice just as low and guttural as Sakura's had been in Takumi's vision.

"Sister!" Corrin cried out, "the war is over! The man responsible for it is dead, and we wish no longer for your aggression. We can still be a family!"

Family… that was always the trick to work with Kamui, but there was something very wrong with the inhuman way Kamui carried herself, and Camilla already knew where this dream was headed. Kamui was the villain in the war against Nohr, just as Sakura was the villain in the war against Hoshido.

Except Camilla knew Kamui. This could very well be much more terrifying than Sakura, considering Kamui's generally intimidating nature.

"Family…" Kamui seethed, "Tell me… is that what you told my brother Leo and my sister Elise as they begged for mercy? Is that the last thing they heard before their cries were cut short? Now my brother Xander has taken his own life, and my sister Camilla is ready to do the same. This is not about family—this is about holding the kingdom responsible for destroying my family accountable for their crimes!"

"Has self-defense never occurred to you?" Hinoka barked, "Maybe if you didn't have them all on leashes and point them at us while we tried killing your crazy king, we wouldn't be in this little spat now, would we?"

Almost unnaturally, Kamui had vanished from the throne, seizing Hinoka by the throat and lifting her, gazing into her eyes with her own glowing soulless red eyes.

"There is no peace. There is no reason." she released Hinoka. "There will only be death. I will be that death, both for you, and for the vestiges of Nohr."

While Xander and Camilla were both absent, it seemed Kamui had gained control of some of their retainers, for Xander's retainers Laslow, Peri, Zul and Varrick flanked the throne, and in front of them were Camilla's retainers Selena, Arozza, and Beruka. Almost as if briefly breaking the spell, some of them exchanged looks as Kamui brandished her axe threateningly.

"Leave if you wish, 'brother'." Kamui warned, turning to Corrin, holding the blade up to his throat, "but know this—every waking moment of my life from now until the day we die will be spent hunting you down. When you are out of my way, then comes Ryoma, Hinoka, Takumi, and even Sakura. One by one I will let their blood cry from the dust as I cut them down—and then Hoshido will know what true misery feels like after everyone you love has been destroyed."

Camilla shuddered. That sounded exactly like the type of unrighteous fury and depravity that Kamui would descend to if her family was slain. She was clearly mad with rage, which had very easily allowed the Exalted One to get a firm grip on her.

"I'LL RIP YOUR HEART OUT!" Kamui screamed, the guttural tone of her voice making her threat sound even more terrifying than it already was.

"She is beyond reasoning with," Azura warned, "Corrin, I hate to tell you this… but your sister has to die. We cannot save her."

Almost as if this triggered Kamui to react, Camilla watched as Kamui's arm morphed into a draconic hand which extended out and seized her around the waist. It shook her violently, and the scene around her began to fade as a woman screamed.

She was shaken back into reality by a frenzied Kamui, and after the dream she had just had, Camilla actually reeled somewhat in fright herself.

"CAMILLA!" Kamui had a reputation across Nohr for being almost stupidly fearless, and as such, when Camilla saw the look of pure terror on her face, she knew something was very wrong.

As soon as she realized she had Camilla's attention, Kamui broke down crying and shoved her face into Camilla's chest.

"Speak to me, darling…" she steeled her own resolve as she ran her fingers through Kamui's wild curls, "tell momma Camilla all about it."

To her own horror, it was Takumi and Sakura all over again. Kamui had had the exact same vision that Camilla had, and Camilla knew in that moment that the only thing keeping Kamui from going on a genocidal rampage at this point was her realizing that it had only been a dream.

"It seems we're the Takumi and Sakura of the Nohrian nightmare…" she sighed, her fingers still running through Kamui's curls as she sobbed into Camilla's bosom. Her arms were wrapped tightly around Camilla in an unusually clingy fashion that was unusual even for Kamui.

"If this is Nohr losing the war, then I'll raze Hoshido to the ground and murder every Hoshidan myself before I let it happen." Kamui seethed, her breathing sharp and heavy.

"Darling, listen to yourself." Camilla frowned, "Whoever sent these nightmares likely chose you because they knew that it would affect you the most. I'm safe; Xander, Leo, and Elise are still alive, and half of your friends in this little army your brother made are Hoshidan."

"But think of how that could easily change," Kamui gazed up at Camilla, her face flushed red from her crying, "I can't let that happen… I WON'T let that happen…"

Kamui's right hand clenched, and her arm began to morph into an unnerving draconic limb. Camilla seized it before she could do anything with it though.

"Kamui." her voice was more forceful this time. "Don't do this."

Kamui let out a sharp breath as if she was still contemplating it.

"Stop." her grip tightened around Kamui's draconic limb, and despite its size, Kamui could feel her arm starting to tingle from just how powerful Camilla's grip was.

"I'm Nohrian and I'd defend my country to my dying breath," Camilla continued, "but what we saw was not you defending Nohr—you were out to give Hoshido hell and you even admitted it. That is NOT the Kamui I know."

"I would though," Kamui's arm returned to its natural form, slipping out of Camilla's grip. "Every… single… one… if they dared…"

"And what about your best friend?" Camilla pointed out, "the tailor girl you have drinks with; or that Flame Tribe princess you're always talking to? Would you slay them in cold blood too? They're Hoshidan too. Would you slaughter Takumi; sweet little Sakura who doesn't have an evil bone in her body?"

Kamui whimpered and buried her face back in Camilla's chest again as she realized the folly of her assertions.

"Oboro Fukui taught me an important life lesson, darling…" Camilla rubbed Kamui's back, "she told me most of her story when we were out on the town the other afternoon. Nohr did terrible things to her and her family, and she still holds that grudge. Do you think she's a violent psychopath waiting for the right moment to go killing every Nohrian she sees in this castle?"

"Well… no, but…" Kamui stammered.

"Then what justification do you think you have, sweet sister, to want to murder every Hoshidan in this building over a nightmare? Do you realize both how ridiculous and how terrifying you sound when you talk like that? I know you, dear. You're a passionate woman with fire behind your words, and you're not one for idle talk. Usually when you say something that serious, you go and do it. Tell me… what would you have done if I wasn't here to comfort you?"

Kamui thought about it, and sighed again, knowing Camilla was right.

"I… I don't know what I would have done." Kamui confessed. "And to be honest, I think that's what terrifies me the most."

"Momma Camilla might have her frightening reputation," Camilla chuckled at first, but her tone grew more somber a moment later, "but Kamui dear, I don't think you quite realize just how strong you are. You're as formidable as I am with weapons, but in your dragon form…" she reminisced back to the Hoshidan plaza the day Mikoto had died. Camilla had not said anything, but seeing Kamui in the form of a black and silver dragon going on a hate-fuelled rampage frightened her. It was a glimpse; a taste of what Kamui was capable of when she was not in control of her mind or body.

"I want to know how Corrin does it," Kamui mumbled, "I don't think he's too much weaker than me as a dragon, but the way he controls himself makes it seem so easy. Every time I transform I always feel… wild… feral even."

"Well listen," Camilla caressed Kamui's hair again, "come to me before you do anything rash—and don't even think about hurting your friends from Hoshido…"

"That… was foolish of me," Kamui sighed. "I'm sorry."

"I accept your apology," Camilla smiled. "Next time you will get a spanking. This time I'll just let you off with a little warning."

"Camilla, no, fuck—mmpf!" before Kamui could say anything else Camilla had pressed her face against her chest with enough force to almost smother her. Kamui flailed for a moment before Camilla let out a yelp loud enough to wake half the castle.

"Goodness!" she slapped Kamui upside the head, a look of indignation on her face, "when did you get the idea to bite?"

"I couldn't breathe," Kamui pouted. "But I guess we should throw some clothes on. Someone is bound to have heard that."

No sooner had they thrown a few articles on when the door slid open to reveal a sleepy-eyed Oboro and a dark-skinned girl with a little white bob of hair that Kamui almost didn't recognize as Rinkah due to the absence of her trademark Oni Mask.

"Fuck was that about?" Rinkah growled, "we under attack or something?"

"Does it look like we're under attack if they're just sitting there," Oboro whacked Rinkah, "but seriously—Lady Camilla, I might have to reconsider rooming next to you if you do that again."

"It was my fault," Kamui confessed, "And… well, you should probably get Corrin and the others."

"Rinkah, you heard the woman, get to it." Oboro ordered, more out of grumpy grogginess and audacity than actually expecting Rinkah to comply. All three women were surprised as Rinkah stumped off. A few moments later they heard what clearly sounded like a door being smashed right off its hinges, and there was another commotion of sorts.

"I knew it." Chel shook her head after Kamui had shared the news with the others.

"I'm surprised it wasn't me that had the dream," Takumi admitted, "but I guess if that's really the story, then maybe having Nohr lose the war isn't such a good idea either."

"It's not," Chel nodded, "neither side should lose this war, or it will just give more power and fuel to your enemies. Don't let her have that power."

"Definitely not!" Sakura chimed in, "I'd hate to see Kamui in such a wretched state any more than I'd want to be the miserable remnants of the Ikarayu line. Th-that's such a scary thought…"

"Then we're running out of time," Corrin warned, "we need to mobilize, but we have no leads."

"Actually," the door of the main room slid open again, revealing a fully-dressed Anna in the doorway, a hilarious pair of sunglasses on her face and a sack of gold in her hand, "you do."

"We do?" Corrin tried to decode what Anna was implying.

"There's a performance tomorrow in Cyrkensia," Anna grinned, "they're already selling trinkets and gizmos and whatnot, and I sold some at twice the price and cut a sweet profit! That all aside though, word from my sisters has it that King Garon himself's going to be there. I wonder if I can get his signature… that might be worth a pretty penny…"

"Garon's gonna be there?!" Kamui gawked.

"Well yeah," Anna beamed, "so are his other three children. Even the elder two siblings from Hoshido are coming."

"Everyone in one place?" Corrin mused, turning to Azura, and also to Chel. "do you think it's possible?"

"It would be extremely difficult and unlikely," Azura warned, "but I assure you, I will do what I can."

"I can help too," Chel offered, "I mean, with a diversion. Obviously we're not going to want to face all of those hooligans at one time, yeah?"

"Then it's settled," Corrin declared, "get some rest, everyone. Tomorrow we move out."

Men and women began shuffling out of the main room.

"We've got a show in Cyrkensia to see…"


	75. Chapter 75: Voice of Paradise

**AUTHOR'S NOTES:** _A little late due to personal circumstances, but this is an exciting chapter. Much like the events of Chapters 26-27, this is another chapter that draws a little bit of inspiration from a level in Conquest. This chapter is more inspired by that (but with Hoshidans obviously), and the following one is where I transition more properly into the Revelation scenario of Cyrkensia. Whatever the case, we get to meet a couple of familiar faces, and you all get to see my lame attempt to write lyrics. It should also be noted that Azura doesn't disappear and then conveniently manage to avoid detection. There are no idiot balls here; she's sitting next to Corrin for the show, not running off and fooling these morons with a paper-thin disguise.  
Happy Reading!_

 **CHAPTER 75: Voice of Paradise**

 _Sing with me a song of Exalts and Grace…_

Sometime during the evening and the next morning's preparations, Chel had vanished again, but on the other hand, so had Anna, Saizo, and Kaze, and so Corrin thought little of it. Kamui spent her time whacking training dummies with ferocity up until everyone else was beginning to move out. She had a lot on her mind, both from the previous evening and from realizing that she'd be seeing the rest of her siblings from Nohr here, as well as Ryoma and Hinoka.

Incidentally, the one she approached as they moved out towards Cheve and south towards Nestra and Cyrkensia was Corrin.

"A word if you don't mind, brother?" she asked him."

"Of course," Corrin nodded, knowing it was generally uncommon for Kamui to approach him unless she had something important to say. Kamui was not one for small talk, and so when she spoke, it was usually because there was something she needed to say.

"So you know about what I saw, and what I did, right?"

"I heard the story of the woman in the dream," Corrin replied, "but I don't see that as you, sister. You might have the primal urges that come from being a manakete, but you also have a stubbornly strong will that I believe can overcome them."

"Manakete?" Kamui tilted her head, clearly unfamiliar with the term."

"Your sister's retainer Arozza said that's what they call people who can transform into dragons where she's from," Corrin replied, "she and I had quite a conversation over a few games of strategy recently, and so that's where I learned the word. Either way, my main point is that you don't have to let the beast consume you."

"That's the thing," Kamui mumbled, "It almost did—that night, even."

"Was there more to this dream you didn't share?"

"No…" Kamui trailed off, "but in the initial state of aftershock, I swore that I would murder every Hoshidan in sight if they touched my family. I was still trying to sort out fiction from reality, and, well… Camilla practically had to beat some sense into me." She spilled into an elaborate story of her exchange with Camilla that evening and the warnings both [parties had given. Corrin's face looked much straighter and subdued by the time Kamui finished.

"Well…" Corrin confessed, "I'll give you that; that's rather terrifying to think about, but I'll do everything in my power to keep you safe from that."

"No," Kamui shook her head, "if I ever turn violent like that, I want you to slay me. Trying to reason with a dragon that has lost her mind is a death wish. Even if you would throw your life down for me, think of the others: think of Takumi and Sakura; of beautiful Oboro and sweet little Mozu. Think of Rinkah, Kaze, Kagero, Saizo… get Reina to help you if you need to. Just… whatever you do, don't let me start, because I won't be able to stop."

"That's a very steep order, even for me, sister," Corrin sighed, "I will do what I can to prevent it coming to that, but if that's what you desire… then you have my word." He offered her his hand. Kamui was somewhat surprised at this concession, but knew that Corrin was much more honest than she was, and so she shook his hand in return, her grip as strong as his.

Soon they had crossed the borders into the kingdom of Nestra, and it almost felt like a world away from the world at war with how comparatively peaceful it was. Hoshido and Nohr had not touched it thus far, and while Corrin hoped that it would remain that way, he feared that with powerful players like Garon, Xander, Ryoma, and Hinoka on the scene, that things would go south around here very swiftly.

Cyrkensia definitely faced commotion as word of King Garon's arrival spread, and the rumors of a Hoshidan encampment nearby definitely didn't help at all. Still, no one in the neutral kingdom wanted to boss Prince Ryoma and Princess Hinoka around, just as no one wanted to mess with Garon or Xander.

"Any bets on who's going to start the brawl first?" Hinata nudged Hana as he spoke to try and lighten the tense mood.

"Lady Kamui for certain," Oboro replied with such confidence that both Hana and Hinata was actually taken aback for a moment before laughing.

"We meant between the possessed Hoshidans or the possessed Nohrians," Hana explained, "my bets are on the king, frankly."

"I dunno…" Hinata pointed out, "Obviously I mean no disrespect, but Prince Ryoma tends to get a bit over his head sometimes, and with them being out of their minds and all…"

"I'm so glad that you hold utmost confidence in me, Oboro." Kamui punched her friend's shoulder. "Come on, I'm not even drunk."

"So you're admitting to it if we find a tavern on the way to the Opera House?" Oboro riposted.

"Well of course," Kamui shook her head, "I want to get drunk to stop thinking about how dangerous all of this is, and I'm sure something or someone will set off my hair-trigger temper in all of this mess, especially if I'm still sober."

"Whoa." Corrin was the one to break the conversation, albeit unintentionally. In front of them stood a magnificent building that appeared to be a centerpiece of some kind. Also approaching them were a pair of odd men with large animal-like ears sticking out from their hair: a wolfskin and a kitsune, according to Reina's observations.

"Hey now," one of them spoke up; both appeared to be friendly, but also appeared to be very different. The shaggier one looked more like a wolf and had the tail to match, while the one that had spoken up had a much fluffier tail. "You all here to see the show?"

"In a way, yes," Camilla replied, "Any clue who's on the roster?"

"Not a one!" the wolfskin grinned. "But it's hard to go wrong with music, yeah? And people tend to leave some of the coolest treasure behind afterwards. That's always a treat."

"There's a Dark Horse singer from what I've heard," the kitsune explained, "I think that's the human phrase, at least? By the way, the name's Kaden."

"And I'm Keaton," the wolf chipped in.

"A pleasure," Corrin shook their hands, "My name is Corrin Ikarayu of Hoshido, and these are my family, friends, and soldiers."

"Well I'm sure we'll have plenty of time for proper introductions and such after the show," Kaden grinned, "but you all better hurry. I hear it's about to start."

Kaden and Keaton ran off before Corrin could get another word out of them, but they had a point: the commotion had changed its tune in that subtle way it tended to when people knew the show was about to start.

Fortunately for Corrin, Anna had connections, and so he and his group not only got in, but got some of the best balcony seats. It was a vantage point of sorts, because from here they could see both Garon's balcony to their left, where he was flanked by a red-eyed Xander, Leo, and Elise; and a smaller balcony across from them and to the right where a stern-faced Ryoma and Hinoka stared forward with their blank red eyes.

"Any idea how we want to do this?" Corrin whispered to Azura, who shook her head.

"I should have tried to get backstage and sign up as one of the performers," she frowned, "I'd need a way to project my voice in such a way that it had the power and strength to overcome the curse on five different people…plus whatever afflicts King Garon."

"Don't worry; we'll think of something." Corrin promised, "and hopefully Chel comes through with that diversion of hers."

The entire auditorium grew silent as the first performer reached the stage. For a moment it looked like Azura dressed in darker clothing, but the dancer's outfit was much less revealing: both of her legs were covered, as was her side. The style and motifs of the attire, while hard to sort out from the distance Corrin was at, did strike a familiar resemblance to Azura, however. In a way it also reminded him of Marzichel considering its length, but while her hair was the same sky-blue that Azura's was, this dancer's hair was lavender. Unfortunately, her hair also made it hard to see her eyes, and she had a matching purple veil over her mouth. Her bare feet did leave both Corrin and Azura squinting to try and get a better look at this woman. Her song was even more of a chord-striker than anything.

 _"Expose the lies… behind the eyes…"_

The tune was the exact same one Azura's token song had, only transposed a step or two higher.

 _"The Exalted One Sits on the Throne…"_

But the transposition didn't seem to matter. Corrin's eyes darted towards Garon and then to Ryoma. All six individuals in these balconies seemed suddenly uncomfortable.

 _"Her puppets fight… with all their might…"_

 _"Their minds are not their own!"_

Whoever she was, there was power to her song, and a magical force that had the water surrounding the stage start to swirl around to her steps and song.

 _"Sing with me a song of Exalts and Grace…"_

Glancing to his right, he noticed both Ryoma and Hinoka clutching the balcony's edge as if planning to crush it in their grip.

 _"The malev'lence has another face…"_

Corrin and Kamui glanced over to see Xander helping Garon to his feet, pointing at Leo and Elise, and the latter three starting to vacate. Xander drew his sword, but his grip on it was very uncomfortable, and seemed to be affected by the song.

 _"Nohr and Hoshido unite… to take back their home… lost in thoughts all alone…"_

While it might have easily been attributed as a reaction to Xander's movement, Ryoma drew his sword, but he and Hinoka were clearly not focused either.

Waves of water emanated from the dancer on the stage, and shook many people to their cores—some figuratively, others literally. Almost as if Xander and Ryoma were suddenly on the same side against Corrin and his friends, they both shouted "KILL THE SINGER!" at the exact same moment. The performer stopped and suddenly there was a loud rumbling.

"It wasn't me!" Kamui instinctively warned, but in a moment it was suddenly chaos. The city was under attack, and even the opera house wasn't safe. The performer, whoever she was, managed to disappear into the fray and out of sight. The strange part of the matter was that even Xander and Ryoma looked confused, and Hinoka had vanished somewhere in the fray.

"Not to ruin the fun here, but I think it's time to make ourselves scarce!" Takumi shouted. No one needed to be told twice. It was time to find out who or what had attacked. Garon's disappearance had most of the army formulating theories right off the bat, but as they emerged from the damaged Opera House, they saw something much more alarming.

The place appeared to be falling apart all on its own. Small contingents of Nohrians and Hoshidans were still assembling, both sides naturally blaming each other, and Ryoma and Xander had taken their respective positions at the helms of their armies.

A shrewd eye from Zenzi was all Corrin needed to realize what was going on here.

"I-invisible soldiers!" she pointed, where a shadowy flicker of purple appeared and vanished.

"Then as a radiant hero of old once said…" Camilla licked her lips and drew out Alondite, "...Prepare yourself."


	76. Chapter 76: A Lost Peace

**AUTHOR'S NOTES:** _Sometimes things change around a bit unexpectedly, and I have to make adjustments accordingly. This is a natural part of the writing process, and as such, it's not surprising to me as a novelist for circumstances to change and for me to spare characters originally slated for death, or kill characters originally meant to live, among other things. Whatever the case, there are a few more unexpected twists in the myth coming up in some of my future chapters, though in the meantime, here's this one.  
Happy Reading!  
_

 **CHAPTER 76: A Lost Peace**

 _Sing with me a song of Demons and Wiles…_

Corrin's army had hardly begun to engage the unseen foes when they saw Kaden and Keaton come staggering out of one of the ruins, looking both manic and visibly injured.

"Get out while you can," Keaton stammered, "the whole place is coming apart!"

"These poor creatures," Camilla frowned, "they've been horribly injured. Princess Sakura, could you tend to them?"

"Of course!" Sakura exclaimed, "I'll heal them right away!"

"A few deft waves of her rod and the two looked much better. However, the good news was quickly met with bad news from a frantic-looking wyvern rider.

"Oy!" her red armor became apparent immediately, and a messy tousle of golden hair on her head had Saizo and Kagero recognize the woman immediately. "You don't look possessed, and don't look completely insane. Wait… I know you!"

"Scarlet…" Saizo was the one to speak. "I take it you have information on my liege from that look in your eyes."

"Well, he and that Nohrian Prince Xander are more or less exchanging blows with their armies, all the while the town around them keeps falling apart for no reason." Scarlet began, "it's crazy, and frankly, it pisses me off."

"The good news," Corrin piped up, "is that we have a way to bring Ryoma back to sanity, as well as Xander. That, and we know what's making the city fall apart."

Corrin hastily explained the situation to them, and also to Kaden and Keaton, both of whom seemed cool with the idea of following Corrin around for a while.

"Avoid the ones with the red eyes, darlings" Camilla added, "we need them alive, but they will definitely try to kill you."

"So is anyone else fair game?" Keaton licked his lips, a very hungry expression in his eyes.

"Well obviously none of our own," Kamui replied, "but otherwise I see no reason why not."

"Hey now, I might be a bit ditzy but I'm not THAT stupid," Keaton quipped, "I know friend from foe, and frankly, those foes look delicious!" He brandished a beaststone and an instant later had transformed into a large, hulking yeti-like wolfish creature, bounding into the fray.

"I guess that's our cue, yeah?" Kaden quipped before twirling through the air and turning into a multi-tailed fox. "Last one there's a Faceless' backside!"

"Well… they're certainly enthusiastic…" Corrin drew his sword, only to see Rinkah and Kamui race past them, both swinging large clubs. Soon the fighting was in full swing, although they were still a good ways off from reaching either Xander or Ryoma. Kamui seemed to be carving a path through the Nohrians to try and reach Xander, while Takumi and Sakura helped protect Azura as they tried to reach Ryoma. Hinoka had also disappeared, although where she had flown off to was anyone's guess.

Camilla was also making great progress on carving through the Hoshidan army to reach the invisible warriors, and based on her movement, Corrin noted that she was likely going to try and subdue the powerful Ryoma.

The conflict brought out the violent side of several soldiers. Rinkah was smashing enemies left and right with near impunity, while Oboro succumbed to her old grudge and began attacking the Nohrians in Xander's army with a level of ferocity that could have rivalled the possessed Kamui in Camilla's nightmare.

"Only the invisible ones count this time!" Hana called out to Hinata as they resumed their old scorekeeping game.

"You're on!" Hinata called back.

Mozu took a particularly special focus on the invisible soldiers, the flickering purple flames and slight distortions of the light around them betraying their locations to the little keen-eyed farmer. She shifted her weight into her back foot as she pointed her spear at the nearest enemy, before lunging forward in what almost looked like an elaborate cartwheel, her weapon at this point little more than an extension of her own body as she swung forward and impaled her first target.

"Y'all really need to stop this whole 'destroying everything' nonsense!" she scolded the all but inanimate soldiers, "Right near scared me t'death at New Kamui more than those hulkin' faceless. She pivoted around on her foot with grace, her eyes shut for a moment as she thought back to a dance move Zenzi had taught her on one of those evenings she couldn't sleep. Her spear found a home between the neck head and torso of another invisible assailant, further bolstering Mozu's adrenaline-fuelled impaling frenzy. She attacked like a shrike, which made it clear to Corrin that Mozu did much more behind his back than met the eye. He wondered who all had helped her, and mentally reminded himself to ask about that sometime after this chaotic fighting as over.

Possibly due to the number of Hoshidans in Corrin's army, Xander's army began to reduce swifter than Ryoma's, and as his numbers thinned, Kamui finally managed to reach him.

"Show me what you're made of, brother!" she brandished the Yato threateningly, figuring that Azura would come to back her up at any moment. "I know you're stronger than this stupid curse you're under, and I want to see you break free of it in a powerful fit of triumph!"

"Stand down, little princess." Xander warned, his shimmering red eyes piercing Kamui's, "Prince Ryoma and these nefarious Hoshidans must be destroyed."

The fact that he did not attack her right away was a sign of hope for Kamuii—he was clearly fighting against the Exalted One's might, which may have been what stayed his hand from driving his blade through Kamui's body.

"Do you remember nothing of Izumo?" Kamui kept a steady grip on her blade in case Xander struck without warning, "of the peace we spoke of between Nohr and Hoshido."

"Hoshidans are foul, duplicitous creatures, little princess," Xander warned, "Even now they have turned you against your family using those same duplicitous techniques."

"Then how am I fighting alongside Camilla?" Kamui asked, her grip remaining firmly on her blade,

"Camilla understands the trickery of the Hoshidans," Xander pointed outward with his blade, towards where Ryoma and Camilla were locked in fierce combat, sparks flying from their blades. "But it seems you have not yet learned your lesson."

Kamui was about to contemplate the weight of Xander's words, when she suddenly felt a searing pain from her right shoulder across her chest down towards her left his. She reeled in pain, the front of her armor now red with blood. She had actually thought that Xander was himself for a while there, but the unprovoked attack against her made her realize that it was most likely merely the Exalted One trying to get inside her head through Xander.

Xander raised his blade and shot Kamui with a powerful pulse of darkness that blasted her a few feet away before she could recover. He approached her, raising his blade for a finishing blow.

"Stand down!" A knight rode between Xander and Kamui to deflect the blow. Through her slightly hazy vision, Kamui saw it was Silas, who, while clearly an inferior fighter compared to Xander, was now holding his own against the formidable prince.

"That was too close," he muttered, "Hang in there, Lady Kamui."

It took Kamui a few moments to regain her strength, but she grabbed a piece of wood from the debris of the destroyed town and bit down really hard on it before rising to her feet, Dusk Yato in hand. She charged Xander, jumped up on the back of Silas' horse, and a mounted battle began.

"Did you really think I'd just let you die like that?" Silas turned and smiled at her.

Kamui shuddered and smiled back. "I owe you." she quipped. "But first things first."

Unfortunately, they were met with an undue surprise in the form of Laslow and Peri, Xander's retainers who were still backing their liege under the same curse he was under. Fortunately for them, Zenzi was able to throw Laslow off-guard, and with the grace of a dancer and a mother's love, she carefully locked him into combat. This kept him away from Silas and Kamui, and she carefully coordinated her movements to minimize any injury towards Laslow, even if she knew that, like Selena's relation to Roku, this young man was not the son from her own timeline.

"I'm sorry…" Zenzi whispered as her katanas crossed with Laslow's steel, "you will understand soon enough, however."

Peri on the other hand, was much harder to subdue. There were ways to get into Laslow's head, and even into Xander's head, but Peri was an amoral creature that seemed unaffected by psychological persuasion.

"Swing, swing, swing!" she chanted as her lance carved through what looked like friend and foe alike. Corrin mentally noted that if there was a way to point her at the Vallites, then that might be an effective way of keeping her off their hands. Getting Azura to sing was tricky though, because as they saw in the Opera House, the power of the song was great enough that it forced afflicted victims into irrational and violent states which could in turn be fatal to members of his own army if they weren't careful. Furthermore, it would incite any existing Vallite soldiers to beeline it for Azura, further jeopardizing her safety.

He did not tell Kamui this, but his main focus for the moment was Ryoma. Perhaps if that mysterious dancer had been with them, they could have tried to tackle both Xander and Ryoma, but Azura did not think she had that sort of power unless she was willing to lay down her life—and even if she did at this point, that would still leave Elise, Leo, and Hinoka to deal with without the power of her songs. That was not something Corrin wanted to consider.

"Blood is such a lovely shade of red," Peri chanted as she barrelled towards Kamui, "and it looks so wonderful when you're DEAD!" Her spear sailed through the air and very likely would have taken the left side of Kamui's face out, had a deftly thrown dagger not knocked it off course just enough for it to only nick her ear instead.

"You rang?" Jakob quipped as he dashed past Kamui and Xander. "And YOU!" he turned his gaze towards Peri, "you're a fearsome one, I'll give you that, but if you so much as draw even a drop of Lady Kamui's blood, so help me gods I will make every waking moment of your existence hell until you scream for the sweet release of death."

"Peri always found you to be a sassy one," she licked her lips, "but Peri knew she would get in trouble if she killed you. But now that you and your liege have turned traitor, I can kill you and get praise from Prince Xander and King Garon heaped upon me!"

"I could do no less," Jakob riposted, accepting the challenge.

The battle against the Hoshidans and the Nohrians seemed to slow to a standstill, and the Vallite threat gradually dissipated as soldiers on all sides also fought the invisible menace. It was only after there was enough clearance in the ruins of the battlefield that Azura made her move.

" _Sing with me a song of Conquest and Fate…"_

It was almost as if Xander recognized the song immediately and what it did, for no sooner had Azura begun to sing when he stopped and ordered a hasty retreat. Even Laslow and Peri abandoned their designs, and the Nohrian army cleared out of the place almost like they were fleeing a burning building.

" _The Black Pillar cracks beneath its weight…"_

Ryoma staggered for a moment, leaning on his blade which was planted in the ground,and for a moment, lowered his head. Azura halted her song, figuring that the less of it she needed to sing, the less of her own life energy she would need to expend.

Takumi and Sakura were the first ones to approach Ryoma, who had not moved from his slouched position near the end of one of the docks. Camilla had nearly cornered him when Azura had started her song, but even now she kept her blade trained at him in case he tried anything.

"B-Big Brother?" Sakura whispered.

However, something was very wrong. A glint of red shimmered through Ryoma's eyes as he looked up at Takumi and Sakura, and in a split-second of horror, they knew that they had made a mistake. It seemed that the old Hoshidan trickery was still a valid tactic even when under the spell of an Exalt.

As he sprung to slice Sakura and Takumi in half, however, Camilla lunged at him, knocking the two of them off the pier, and into the water below.

"CAMILLA!" Kamui screamed as she watched it happen, and for a moment everyone watched in silence as the two seemed to grapple in the water. Camilla surfaced, keeping an staounding grip on Ryoma for a moment, but then Ryoma suddenly turned it around, got Camilla in a headlock, and pulled her under the water, disappearing beneath the waves himself.

Right as Kamui contemplated jumping in after them, however, a silent dread filled everyone in Corrin's army as they watched the spectacle below them.

The waters where the two royals had been fighting went still. Without even so much as a bubble or two, Ryoma and Camilla had vanished beneath the waves. Within minutes, where any normal human would have had to surface for air, the water was as still and silent as if it had never been disturbed in the first place.


	77. Chapter 77: A Pyrrhic Victory

**AUTHOR'S NOTES:** _I suppose a lot of you probably figured that I would say "but wait, Ryoma and Camilla were alright" or something in this chapter. I've got bad news on that front. Anyhoot, here's our next chapter as Corrin's army recuperates from the loss of loved ones they suffered at Cyrkensia. No one takes it too well, but some handle it better than others. Also, For reasons explained in the chapter, Kaden and Keaton have not "officially" joined Corrin's crew just yet, but they'll appear at the bottom of an upcoming chapter soon enough. I didn't forget to post their bios to the "characters recruited" list, in other words._  
 _Happy Reading!_

 **CHAPTER 77: A Pyrrhic Victory**

 _Sing with me a song of Heartbreak and Angst…_

Kamui dove into the water with little regard to her own safety or even realizing that she wasn't a very adept swimmer. She tried to find any sign of Ryoma and Camilla, but saw nothing. Granted, she was mostly just flailing around.

"Idiot…" Oboro mumbled, "did she forget she can't swim?" Kamui had made such a confession a few times during her nights at the tavern getting drunk with Oboro.

Incidentally, Sakura of all people was the one to go in after her, spreading her arms in a rather elegant swan dive before hitting the water and seizing Kamui around the waist as she kept them both afloat.

"Big sister!" she exclaimed as Kamui thrashed, clearly not all there at the moment. "They… they're gone…" She tried not to let the impact of losing her eldest brother hit her, and fortunately the water and wet hair that clung to parts of her face concealed the forming tears, "they… Camilla saved us…"

It was true that Sakura and arguably Takumi owed Camilla their lives, but with Camilla gone, there was little they could do to repay that debt now.

"Be strong…" Sakura held Kamui as she swam for the shore, "d-don't cry…"

Perhaps Kamui had found the one other person besides Camilla that could keep her from going into a hate-fuelled rampage and slaughtering everyone out of grief. Those vile thoughts filled her mind, but there was something relaxing and soothing about Sakura's presence that kept her calm. Camilla used tough love and a little force to help subdue Kamui, while all Sakura did was speak softly and be herself.

Kamui let go of Sakura once they had reached land again, and she turned to Corrin.

"Let's leave this terrible place." she mumbled. "Now."

Sakura migrated towards Takumi in the midst of it all, although was flanked by her retainers before she could reach him.

"I'm… I'll be okay…" she whispered softly in response to their concerned questions. Subaki trusted her right away (although kept his ears perked in case she gave off anything he perceived as a warning sign), but Hana was a bit more persistent.

"Your brother just… well…" she stammered, "you can't be okay!"

"W-well, I'm not okay." Sakura whimpered, "but… he would have wanted me to stay strong. So I… I will stay strong. Thank you for showing concern."

"If there is anything we can do to help ease your grief," Subaki offered, "you only have but to let us know and we will happily oblige."

"That's so very kind…" Sakura smiled sheepishly, "r-right now, I just want to see my brother."

"Of course, milady." Subaki stepped aside, cueing Hana to do the same.

"We…" Hana glanced up at Subaki as Sakura went to embrace Takumi, "I dunno if you were intending to word it like that, Mr. Perfect… but thanks. It means a lot for you to include me instead of just trying to outclass me all the time."

"I've told you before that my aim is not to outperform you in any capacity, Hana," Subaki explained, "I merely wish to do everything in my power to assist Lady Saura whenever possible. If you seek the same, then I am happy to include you."

"Well of course I do!" Hana exclaimed, "and I think she's really gonna need it in these next few days." she frowned as she saw Sakura clearly crying into Takumi's shoulder. It didn't help that he also looked visibly distressed by the loss of his brother.

"Then let's do everything we can to help lighten that burden." Subaki offered his hand. "No more competition, yes?

"Deal." Hana shook his hand, though her face and tone lacked her usual enthusiasm as she shot a concerned glance again at Sakura.

Even by the time everyone reached the castle again, there was still a somber silence that hovered over New Kamui as they all took in the loss of Ryoma and Camilla. Kamui locked herself in her room and refused to come out, adamantly swearing that she wasn't crying. Even Oboro took to some heavy drinking to get her mind off of her liege losing his brother, and her losing one of her best friends. Takumi and Sakura grieved together, although did so mostly in silence, while Corrin also shut himself in his room, more in the shock of realizing that Ryoma, the older brother he had always looked up to, was gone; lost beneath the waves of Nestra. It hurt him even more to realize that along with his own pain, his twin sister was crying her heart out in lamentation of her elder sister whom she had clearly loved deeply.

Two days passed without anyone doing much of anything short of basic everyday functions. Kaden and Keaton had elected to follow Corrin and his army, although both were starting to have second thoughts with how grim everyone seemed to be.

Keaton was the first one to address this with someone—he wandered into one of Mozu's fields to scavenge for bugs and other scraps when he ran right into her.

"I swear it's not what it looks like," he began instantly, "I'm just here for the bugs, not the fruit."

"It ain't no worry," Mozu smiled, "I've got plenty to spare if you wanted some."

"Well, I don't really need it or anything," Keaton shrugged, "but I guess if you're offering…" his tail betrayed his true emotions, and Mozu noticed the subtle shift he did to try and hide it.

"You're welcome," she giggled. "Just come on back if you ever want some more, y'hear?"

"I might… I just might." Keaton muttered, but then his ears perked. "But on the other hand, all of you seemed so bold and lively before the opera thing. Now you'd almost find more cheer in those ruins. What's up with that?"

"I can't say I know the whole of it," Mozu scratched her head, "but I reckon it's got somethin' to do with Prince Ryoma and Princess Camilla drownin' in the waves."

"Oh, huh…" Keaton put a hand to his chin, "yeah, I guess that'd be pretty bad, wouldn't it?"

"Grievin' is a complicated subject," Mozu explained, "when you lose someone close to ya, it kind of makes a hole in your heart that never really mends itself. You just.. Kinda learn to live with it and cope with the loss."

"You sound like someone who knows what that kind of loss is." Keaton mused, "I mean, not like I've ever lost anyone like that… but you know…"

"My whole village got razed to the ground by a bunch of 800 pound monsters," Mozu sighed, leaning on her hoe. "I've seen Wolfskin before, but they don't destroy stuff for sport. Y'all protect your territory and all that. These monsters didn't do any of that. They just barrelled through and smashed anything and everything they could reach. It was terrible!"

"Well, if you lost everything, why aren't you grieving like all the rest of them?" Keaton tilted his head expectantly.

"I do," Mozu stood back up and resumed her work, "I just learned to cope with it. Farm work kind of helps me take my mind off of it, but even then there are still some of those nights where I'll wake up in a cold sweat…" she shuddered, trailing off.

"Well, I'll stick around for now," Keaton muttered, "but maybe you should try telling some of your friends around here to get back up and cope with it, or whatever it was you said. It might be good for 'em. Who knows?"

He paused. "And, uhh… I don't exactly want any more of your fruit, but um, if you've got any extra, I wouldn't like, say no or anything."

Mozu laughed. "Your tail is wagging again, Keaton." she smiled, offering him another basket of her berries. "A little extra, just for hearing a little ol' country girl out."

"My tail is NOT wagging from being happy!" Keaton lied, but Mozu just chuckled. "But, uhh… thanks for the berries, I guess."

Keaton scampered off to whatever corner he had come from, leaving Mozu alone to muse about the conversation she had just had. Perhaps she should muster up the courage to remind Corrin that they couldn't all just lock themselves up and grieve forever.

Incidentally, across the grounds in the castle, Oboro was thinking the same thing. More accurately, she wanted a drinking buddy, and her attempts to intercept her servants from bringing alcohol to Kamui's room had been met with failure as soon as Kamui realized that Jakob knew how to avoid Oboro while Felicia did not.

Taking a leaf out of Rinkah's book, Oboro launched her foot towards Kamui's door, hoping to kick it in. Instead, she just cursed loudly as she clutched her now-aching ankle.

" _Damn! Rinkah makes it look so easy!"_ she swore as she heard Kamui's voice.

"What do you want?"

"It's Oboro," Oboro replied, "let me in, you idiot!"

"Piss off. I'm not in the mood for much of anything."

"I can smell the booze from here, Lady Kamui," Oboro called out. It was a bluff, but not one that would be too difficult to believe.

"Then make yourself useful and get Jakob to bring me some better-smelling booze." Kamui called back out.

"Ohh, that's IT!" Oboro growled, "so help me, Lady Kamui, I'm coming in there!"

It took her a while to find the woman she was looking for, but eventually she found Rinkah.

"Oh, it's you." she muttered, hardly glancing at Oboro, "why the limp?"

"That's a story all on its own," she murmured, but after explaining to Rinkah what had happened and what her objective was, Rinkah smirked and licked her lips.

"I'll show you the proper art of how to kick any door in, no matter the strength of the locks." she pointed out, "it's not about raw strength most of the time. I mean come on. I've seen those biceps of yours; you're no pushover."

Rinkah lifted one of Oboro's sleeves and squeezed her upper arm. Oboro raised an eyebrow but then flexed her arm, which incidentally garnered an approving smirk from the Flame Tribe girl.

"Just as I thought." she grinned. "Anyways, follow me."

Rinkah quietly took a few moments to examine Kamui's door, where the print of Oboro's boot was visible, but was otherwise unmarred.

"She built it tough," Rinkah whispered, "I'm gonna need both feet and a running start for this one. The weakest points, ironically enough for a door as strong as this one, are here, and here." Rinkah pointed out the spots. "So with enough force applied here, it should capitulate. Hold this."

She handed her trademark Oni Mask to Oboro before stepping back, taking a breath, and cracking her knuckles. She charged the door, her feet engulfed in flames as she barreled through the door, smashing it right off its hinges.

"Kamui," she barked, glancing around, "it's me and—SWEET MOTHER MILA!"

If Kamui had been miserable before Camilla was free of the Exalt's curse, she was an absolute wreck now. Empty bottles and stained sheets of paper were everywhere, and the room smelled strongly of cheap beer.

"What part of fuck off did you not understand," she muttered groggily. "Really Oboro? You recruited Rinkah?"

"Lady Kamui," Oboro began, "with all due respect, this is pitiful and disgraceful—"

"You never seemed to mind drinking before this," Kamui quipped, "what gives?"

"There's a line between drinking for fun and drinking to get wasted," Oboro retorted, "but there's also a line between getting wasted and getting shit-faced to try and drown yourself in pity. You need a hot spring trip, stat."

"Don't remind me." Kamui shuddered, "don't remind me… of her."

"Lady Kamui, listen…" Oboro sighed. Rinkah remained quiet as she replaced the mask back on her head before walking out. Her work here was done for now. "I'm not saying this to try and distress you further; I'm saying this because I've been there. When I lost my mother and father, I was devastated. I binge-drank when I was 13. It's not a good idea, but that's beside the point. The point is to think. Lady Camilla was arguably my best friend outside of Hoshido. Really, behind Lord Takumi and maybe Hinata, she was probably my best friend of all time. Losing her hurt me too. But think about it—if Lady Camilla saw you right now, do you think she'd let you off without a lecture?"

"No, but she's the reason I'm like this," Kamui retorted immediately.

"And she would have dragged you kicking and screaming to the hot springs to try and calm you down. That's why I'm going to do the same."

"Good luck getting me out of my clothes." Kamui quipped. Oboro groaned.

"Look, we can do this the easy way, where you comply, or the hard way, where *I* drag you kicking and screaming there. Frankly, I've seen you naked enough times that it's not going to bother me anymore. So are you going to get up and come with me or am I going to have to strip you down myself?"

Now Oboro wished that Camilla was here, simply so she could see Oboro's audacity right now. This was definitely going to be one for the books. Kamui did not move apart from rolling to her other side, away from Oboro.

5 minutes later, both Oboro and Kamui had learned something new. Kamui learned that Oboro not only knew how to dress and undress herself easily, but that she also knew that trick with others too. Oboro learned that Kamui went commando under her outfit, which may have explained why she had modified it to add covering for her inner thighs.

Whatever the case, Oboro convinced Kamui to don a bathing suit, but then still wound up carrying the rebellious manakete to the springs herself, dropping her rather unceremoniously into the soothing water before sliding in next to her.

"Tell me this doesn't feel good." Oboro elbowed Kamui, who had a change of attitude suddenly.

"It does… and you were right." Kamui sighed, "I was being an irrational little shit again."

"You do that fairly often, you know." Oboro pointed out, "but we all have our moments, and we all have our struggles. Lord Ryoma and Lady Camilla had theirs as well, but they also had their strengths. Someone as strong as you should show off those strengths, so that whenever you end up seeing them again you can show them how you managed to overcome the worst of your adversity and emerge a stronger woman."

"Have you been taking philosophy lessons from Rinkah or something?" Kamui looked up.

"As a matter of fact, I have," Oboro giggled, "over drinks, no less. She's plenty fun, don't get me wrong, but Lady Kamui… I miss my old drinking buddy."

"Let me sober up a bit more, and I might be able to rectify that." Kamui gave a weak half-smile. "You're right. Despite the… very painful… loss at Cyrkensia the other night, Camilla wouldn't have wanted me to mope around all day about it." She glanced over at Oboro, who smiled.

"I've been there; I've nearly done some stupid things because of it too," she explained, "I don't want you falling into the same ruts I did, Lady Kamui. I don't want anyone too."

"Well then." Kamui smiled. "Thank you for caring. Seriously… thank you."


	78. Chapter 78: The Game of Emotion

**AUTHOR'S NOTES:** _And with this chapter, Keaton, Kaden, and Scarlet make their formal "appearances" as official members of Corrin's army. I also may or may not have been hooked on Fire Emblem Warriors, hence the slight tardiness in this chapter compared to my usual update schedule. One thing worth noting is that Scarlet's a little older than she probably was in the original game, but she's not by any means "old". Either way, I don't have too many other remarks to make about this chapter, so I'll just drop it and let it speak for itself.  
Happy Reading!_

 **CHAPTER 78: The Game of Emotion** _  
_

 _Sing with me a song of Nonsense and Thoughts…_

While Oboro dealt with Kamui, Mozu had gone straight for Corrin's room, and only ran into one disruption, with said disruption being Kaden.

"Heya!" He called out, before noticing her face. "Why so glum, chum?"

Mozu explained to him her little exchange with Keateon, and her associated concerns.

"This place is nice most of the time," she finished, "it's like a whole new family to me. I frankly think you're a really great guy, and so I kinda hoped you'd stay with us, but I can understand if all of this melancholy is draggin' ya down."

"Well I'm not just gonna hightail it right away or anything," Kaden smirked, "but hey, if you can talk to the boss about it or something to see if we can turn those frowns upside-down that'd be swell! I'd owe you one, cuz this castle is pretty cool. I just can't stand all the doom-and-gloom attitudes I've been seeing, so hopefully that's just temporary."

"It should be," Mozu nodded, "but I'll see what I can do. Thanks for havin' patience, Kaden."

"Any time, cousin!" Kaden beamed, "if you need me, I'll probably be running around in that open field out there. Lemme know how it goes!"

"Right," Mozu nodded, and she turned the opposite way and continued towards Corrin's door, knocking on it relentlessly until Corrin opened it. He was not half as stubborn as Kamui (no one in the army was, except perhaps Rinkah), and so he relented much sooner and opened the door.

"Mozu?" He tilted his head, "what can I do for you?"

"I've just been thinkin' milord," she explained, "I was talkin' with that Keaton fellow a little while ago, and he asked somethin' that kinda made me think too."

"Oh?" Corrin invited her in so they could sit down instead of have a conversation in his doorway.

"So he's wonderin' why y'all are so down and dour." Mozu explained, "I mean, don't get me wrong, I know all about what it's like to mourn the loss of loved ones… but y'all helped me get back onto my feet after I lost it all… so I started wonderin' if I could somehow return the favour?"

"If you want to try and beat some sense into my sister, then by all means," Corrin quipped, "otherwise, it's tricky. Ryoma was a role model for me, and someone I looked up to both for his leadership as well as his prowess with the blade. Seeing my other siblings grieve doesn't help my morale any, and I can only imagine how Hinoka will react when she's brought to her senses. Kamui and Camilla were extremely close though, and she's not taking it well."

"Princess Kamui doesn't seem very emotionally stable though," Mozu pointed out, "but anyhoot, that wolfskin fellow, Keaton, wasn't too thrilled about the somber attitude of the place. I gotta say, I obviously understand where y'all are comin' from, but it just doesn't feel right. My ma would have wanted me to get back up and keep on fightin' so here I am. I admit I didn't know Prince Ryoma too well and didn't get too much time to get t'know Princess Camilla, but they seemed exactly like the tough kinds of people that would want you to win this twice-damned war and be done with all this killin' and nonsense, y'know? Maybe I'm outta place for sayin' all this, but I wanna stick with you, and I'm pretty sure Keaton n' Kaden do too."

Corrin was silent for a moment as he sighed and rose to his feet.

"You're right, Mozu." he nodded, "you're absolutely right. I apologize if our—well, my—behaviour was unfitting of me these last few days. You've got your wits about you, and you lost much more than a brother."

"I'm not sayin' you should just shrug it off and move on like nothin' happened or what not," Mozu clarified, "but you're right—the same stuff you said to me should be taken to heart. You're a talented leader and a formidable sword fighter, Lord Corrin. You've got what it takes to lead us to victory; I just know it!"

"You're no pushover yourself, you know," Corrin smiled at the little farmer, "I saw you with that spear on the field, and I've seen you with a bow."

"Well shucks," Mozu blushed a little, "usin' a bow is just like huntin' except y'all have nice steel bows made for combat instead of the little wooden ones we'd use back home for huntin'. And usin' a spear's been my latest exercise lately, with Oboro n' Lady Kamui teachin' me a thing or two about how to swing it."

"You've got a work ethic that could rival most of ours," Corrin smiled, "I bet your mother is proud."

"I certainly hope so," Mozu sighed, "but it ain't gonna mean a whole lotta anything if we can't find a way to end this war, y'know?"

"I understand." Corrin nodded, "Thank you, Mozu. I dare say I needed that."

"Hey now," Mozu smiled, "Y'all helped me, so I figured the least I could do was return the favor, y'know?

"I suppose I don't set a very good example as a leader by sulking in my room," Corrin admitted. "Hopefully the moral of everyone else isn't too low."

Morale was mixed, but overall seemed to be improving. Oboro had helped Kamui clean up her room, but even that had not been enough to stop her and several other inhabitants of New Kamui from having a drinking contest later that evening.

"So the point of this game is to see how many little glasses you can take down before passing out?" Keaton raised his eyebrow, "that sounds like my kind of game."

"You're familiar with alcohol, right?" Kamui just wanted to make sure.

"I might not be human any more than you are, girl, but I promise you I know what booze is," Keaton grinned. "Sign me up."

"Anyone want to take bets?" Anna called out. "Odds are in favour of our usual champion, but who knows? She might get unseated by a newcomer in the crowd."

Comically, someone convinced Zenzi to join the game, and perhaps even funnier was when Takumi put his money on her to win.

"What would big brother say if he knew you were betting, Takumi?" Sakura reprimanded him.

"A fool and his money are soon parted?" Takumi shrugged with a light chuckle, "it's all in good fun, I wager. Really I should have put my money on Kamui."

"She better win," Hayato quipped, "otherwise I'm gonna be out some serious coin."

As the contest began, they took the audience's interest for a bit, but the first little while of shot-taking always took the longest before people started to get buzzed.

As was typical in The Drunken Princess, Reina, Orochi and Kagero conversed in a corner over some drinks with their old acquaintance and new comrade-in-arms, Scarlet. This time they were joined by Mozu for the first time as well.

"I never took you for much of a drinker, little one," Reina chortled.

"Well, I ain't like Lady Kamui if that's what you're implyin'," Mozu chirped, "but I'm also only a couple years younger'n Kagero here. I fancy myself a good drink every now and again."

"So did any of you place any bets? Orochi giggled. "Fortune seems to be favouring Rinkah this time around."

"I didn't bet anything myself, but I have an interest in Zenzi winning," Reina replied, "Maybe I've been reading too much of that silly Dancers and Diviners book series Lady Kamui writes, but it gave me some serious respect for dancers… and diviners, as the title might suggest."

"You read it too?" Mozu's eyes lit up, "and here I thought Oboro 'n I were the only ones that read that series so fervent and such."

"It's an enthralling series," Reina chuckled, "I haven't seen a writer that talented since the the time Lady Sakura penned a short thriller on a few scraps of parchment in my barracks."

"Lady Sakura's a writer too?" Mozu looked surprised.

"Oh yes," Orochi grinned, "she doesn't write as avidly as Lady Kamui, but she has an incredible way of just making up lengthy epics on the fly."

"Her romance epics really make me wish she would sit down to finish them," Kagero complained, "I suppose it is unbecoming of a ninja to find herself absorbed in such silly things."

"Nonsense," Scarlet laughed, "we all have our weaknesses and vices. If you ask me, as long as it doesn't get in the way of your line of work, where is the problem? Or are you in _loooove_?"

Kagero stammered for a moment. "It is… unbecoming of me as a ninja, but there are some people that I… admire… in more than just a friendly way."

"Oooh, let's hear the juicy deets," Scarlet's eyes lit up, "Who's the lucky man?"

"I am not obligated to share the details of my love life," Kagero shook her head violently, "especially not so soon after the passing of my liege."

"Oh, right…" Scarlet frowned. "I kind of drowned it out so I wouldn't have to think about Lord Ryoma being gone… I apologize if I was inconsiderate or anything."

"There was no harm done short of a little temporary awkwardness," Kagero gave a smile. "Thank you for your consideration, nonetheless."

"Hey now," Reina chortled, "we're not just the ladies gossip corner over here… well in a way we are, but really, I for one am always up for listening to whatever people wish to say."

"Likewise," Scarlet flashed a pearly-white grin, "I might be something of a tease, but at the end of the day I'm a listener. No joshing you there, Kagero."

"I reckon I might have to join your little circle a bit more often, then." Mozu piped up, but then cocked her head towards the bar again, where the contest had picked up momentum. Rather, it had come down to the final two contestants: Kamui, who surprised no one with her supernatural resilience, but her contender was Zenzi, who remarkably looked much more level-headed than her wildly drunk competitor. Kamui noticed this and growled, taking shots in tandem with her. The crowds seemed to favour the underdog, however, considering their chants.

" _Zenzi! Zenzi! Zenzi! Zenzi! Zenzi!"_

"Where does she put it!?" Kamui barked as Jakob casually poured them both more beer.

Corrin entered the scene right as he saw Kamui fall off her stool, stone-drunk. Zenzi was sitting on the bar with her back towards Jakob, and a line of shots at her side, where she was still taking them one by one as the crowds chanted her name. Corrin knew at once that it had to be the alcohol that kept his retainer with a level head. That many eyes on her would normally have Zenzi squealing from embarrassment. Originally he was going to protest this, but as he looked around, he saw how comically mirthful most of the people in the tavern were, despite the weight of the recent loss looming over their heads. Perhaps his sister was onto something with the whole "wild drinking" thing she did. He changed his mind quickly when he noticed a clearly smashed and barely conscious Kamui cradling an empty bottle while lying in a pool of colored liquid that he hoped sincerely was one of the drinks and not something else.

"So heya, Lord Corrin," Kaden greeted him with a grin, "originally Keaton and I were kind of having doubts about this place with how down and dour everyone was, but after a night like this, it really boosted our spirits. We're gonna join you! How's that sound"

"That actually sounds… fantastic." Corrin smiled. "Thank you Kaden; we'd love to have you."

"Hey, you saved us," Kaden reminded him, "it'd only be proper for me to repay the debt, yeah?"

"We didn't do it to seek repayment," Corrin reminded him, "but if you're willing to support us, we will happily respond in kind."

"A good turn for a good turn?" Kaden's ear twitched happily. "Sounds good to me!"

Corrin smiled at the thought, relieved that the grim mood of the castle the last few days had not deterred the kitsune or the wolfskin. A night or two of frivolities might not be too bad, but he knew that soon they would have to move on.

* * *

 **CHARACTERS RECRUITED:**

 **Kaden:** _A Hoshidan kitsune who serves as his village chief. For good or ill, he's very trusting and will always repay a kindness, sometimes even more than once. Obsessed with his own beauty, he constantly combs his fur or asks for appearance advice. Even when untransformed, his eyes and ears are still among the best in the army by leagues, and his reflexes and reaction time make him a formidable individual. Has the best posture. Born 12 July (Age 25)_

 **Keaton:** _A wolfskin leader from Nohr's Mount Garou. Cheerful, sociable, and a little stupid, he often says the opposite of how he feels, although his tail is often an easy giveaway for his true feelings. He loves big bugs and round dust bunnies, and avidly collects both as well as other bits and piece of junk and garbage. Despite his quirks, he is surprisingly amiable. The most easily distracted member of the army. Born on 30 October (Age 26)_

 **Scarlet:** _A hearty resistance fighter from Cheve who led a resistance against Garon's tyranny towards her people. She has a fondness for shiny objects and likes to decorate her possessions with them using her "magic gunk". Known for telling things how they are, she is stubborn and honest, which, along with her sense of humor, make her extremely easy to get along with and to come to for relationship advice. Always a bridesmaid, never a bride—literally. Born on 3 August (Age 31)_


	79. Chapter 79: Wisdom and War

**AUTHOR'S NOTES:** _A few hours late, but here it is. The next couple of chapters are going to be a bit fast paced as things throw themselves at Corrin and his little army, but we'll find time for things to happen. Anyways, this is also the lead-up to the game's 14th chapter. Since our friend Silas has already been with us for a while, we've got a different set of "bosses" on this map. Unfortunately, because she's also under the curse that is holding her brothers (ad Hinoka), Elise does not appear quite yet either. Worry not, however. Her arrival will be soon.  
Happy Reading!_

 **CHAPTER 79: Wisdom and War**

 _Sing with me a song of Friendship and Pace…_

The results of the betting from last night's drinking game were a spectacle all on their own. Takumi left the room with a slightly smug smirk on his face after winning his bet, while Orochi looked a bit disparaged, muttering something about fraudulent cards and something about burning them. Keaton, who had shown interest in the game initially, had not actually even participated, having been distracted by a large dust bunny in the corner, which he had since taken to his "lair" somewhere on the castle grounds where he hoarded such treasures.

Anna looked utterly crushed, having clearly put a lot of money on someone other than Zenzi. Of the contestants themselves, Kamui was still passed out on the floor, Zenzi was being escorted out by a still (mostly) sober Roku, Rinkah was mumbling something with her head on the bar and a bottle still in her hand, and Oboro was clearly smashed, but still able to stand on her own.

"That was a thriller." Oboro slammed an empty tankard on Reina's table so hard she left a mark in the wood, "I didn't expect Zenzi to win it though—I thought Lady Kamui had it in the bag."

"Well, you've certainly recovered quick," Scarlet raised an eyebrow.

"HA!" Oboro laughed, hiccupping only once, "I'm going to have the shittiest hangover tomorrow, I just know it. Truth of the matter is, is I think Lady Kamui might have bagged this tourney if she hadn't been so annihilated the last few days from her grief. Don't tell her I said that."

"Well, it's not even your win she would have to argue," Reina reminded her with a chuckle, "she'd have to go up against Zenzi again."

"Man, someone should get the author of _Dancers and Diviners_ to put that in one of her books," Scarlet piped up, "with how much alcohol that girl can put away I'm surprised she hasn't become something of a legend in Nohr."

"Wait, you read those too!?" Mozu, Oboro, and even Kagero all exclaimed comically at once.

"Doesn't everyone?" Scarlet casually shrugged a shoulder, "they're a huge hit in Nohr, at least. I'm kind of surprised they carried over into Hoshido."

"No way!" Mozu exclaimed, "Every town in Hoshido with a bookstore we've stopped in has those books in high demand. It's a good thing I know the author personally, otherwise I reckon I'd never be able to get my hands on a copy."

"Not that Hero in Hoshido is bad or anything, but by the grace of Saint-King Alm those _Dancers_ books of hers have me thrilled to bits every time she brings out a new chapter." Scarlet balled her fists as if in excitement, "I'm not sure if it's sadism or genius that she releases them chapter by chapter like that."

She froze. "Wait. you know the author?"

"Do you see that drunken idiot passed out in a puddle of alcohol?" Oboro thumbed over to where Kamui was now asleep, snoring loudly, "that's her."

"Vulgar as she might often be," Kagero pointed out, "she is still a princess, Oboro."

"I know, I know," Oboro nodded, only hiccupping once, "it's not like I'd say that to anyone… it's kind of more a 'best friend' thing, y'know?"

"Shucks," Mozu giggled, "that sounds a lot like how some of the boys in my village used to talk about each other. The way they'd bicker you'd think they hated each other's guts, but nope. You talk to 'em and they'd laugh it off and say they were besties. I didn't know Princess Kamui was your best friend though. I woulda thought it'd be Hinata or Prince Takumi or somethin'."

"Hinata's definitely one of my closest friends," Oboro explained, "and Prince Takumi's a special kind of friend. DON'T GO TELLING HIM THAT." she exclaimed as she realized the implications. The devious smirk that briefly appeared on Scarlet's face had triggered Oboro's miniature panic, and while she didn't fear adverse results of this conversation, she did fear that her secret might be out now.

"I see nothing wrong here," Reina hummed, "although if I had to take a stab without talking to you, I would have presumed Princess Camilla was your best friend."

"Well… yeah…" Oboro's face dropped a little as she was reminded of Camilla's death. She slumped into a nearby chair and sighed. "I… I guess she was."

"I apologize if I came off as insensitive," Reina frowned, "perhaps I was too nosy this time."

"No, it's not that," Oboro mumbled, "it kind of just got me thinking about a lot of things."

"So here's a curious thought for you, sister," Scarlet used the term lightly, as they were not actually related, "You don't need to talk to Prince Takumi about your feelings, per se, but have you let him know how the death of your best friend is weighing you down? Any good friend worth his or her salt would be willing to hear you out."

"Oy now!" Mozu punched Scarlet's arm, "what's that make us? Chopped liver?"

"Of course not," Scarlet laughed, ruffling Mozu's hair, "but you know… childhood friends; friends that know your deepest darkest secrets. Obviously we're all Oboro's friends here, but surely you understand the hierarchy, yeah?"

"Oh," Mozu put her hands together, "yeah, I reckon that makes sense."

Oboro nodded, thinking back to the many dark secrets that Takumi knew about her. When she realized that the only other person she had shared them with was camilla, the realization hit her that the beautiful Norhian princess may have very well been her best friend, and that losing her best friend was a very painful experience.

"Thanks, guys," she smiled, her eyes still a little out of focus, "I think I'll do that."

Incidentally, Takumi was still riding fairly high off of his recent acquisition of more gold from his bet, and not even running into Sakura prevented this.

"I'm glad you won, big brother," she smiled, "even if you didn't win, you still look like you had fun."

"No lecture then?" Takumi quipped, "Or are you going to start betting next time too?"

"I-I might?" Sakura fidgeted, "just don't tell Hinoka or Ryo—ma..."

Wordlessly, Sakura hugged Takumi and sighed again, the stutter in her voice a reminder of what had recently happened.

"Betting's fine," Takumi attempted to console her, "but no drinking, y'hear? Kamui drinks enough for all of us three times over. I don't want you becoming like that."

"And you as well," Sakura looked up at him, "no drinking for you either."

"Well, I've got Oboro to drink my fair share anyways," Takumi let out a slightly hollow chuckle, "but you know me. I won't touch the stuff."

"F-fair enough," Sakura blushed, "It's just—I guess you're the man of the house now that father and Ryoma are gone…"

"Right…" Takumi muttered as Sakura left, "I'm not entirely sure if I'm ready for that burden…"

His mind was taken off of such matters as Oboro approached him. He could tell that something was wrong just by looking at her expression.

"What's on your mind?" He looked at her with a curious expression. Oboro's face twitched for a moment, almost as if it was fighting with itself as to whether or not to contort into its infamous demonic visage.

"Obviously I can't just forget about the death of Prince Ryoma any more than I could forget the death of my parents," Oboro exclaimed, "but as much as my pride hates to say it… I also believe I lost my best friend in that battle."

"Hm?" Takumi tilted his head for a moment trying to find the connection between Oboro and Ryoma, before suddenly looking shocked.

"You're not talking about Camilla, are you?" he gawked.

"That's why it's so weird!" Oboro exclaimed, her left eye twitching, "you know me. I hate Nohr. And yet… the time we spent together… the things she told me… she was my friend… one of those close friends I could trust with secrets."

"So what's that make me?" Takumi's tone became defensive.

"It's… different," Oboro tried to explain, "you're… more than just a best friend."

"Oh." Takumi paused for a moment before Oboro's confession sunk in. "Ohh…"

"I know it's not my place to say it… but I had to." Oboro was something of an emotional mess, and her drunken state was not helping. "I hope you don't think differently of me."

"I… don't…" Takumi stammered, "I just kind of need a bit to collect my thoughts." His conversation with Sakura had not helped, and he wondered if, when they got Hinoka back, if she might be willing to take his place. He would worry about it another time.

For better or for worse, Corrin announced the next afternoon after everyone (mostly everyone, anyways) had sobered up, that they were marching to Notre Sagesse at dawn.

"To get there, we're going to have to pass through the port town of Dia. Rumors of a Nohrian presence are prominent, although there have been no reports of any of the royal siblings."

"Curious…" Kamui put her fingers to her chin, "Is he afraid of losing another child to our forces, or do you suppose he's heard what happened to Camilla?"

"Would that I knew, sister," Corrin frowned, "but if you or anyone else has any questions, comments, or concerns, please address them now."

"Milord," Scarlet spoke up, "was there any word about Lady Hinoka?"

"Lady Hinoka was last spotted flying northeast from Cyrkensia before the incident there," Kagero replied, "but we have not heard or seen regarding her since then."

"Right then,"Corrin asked for any more questions a 2nd time, but this seemed to be the extent of the inquiries for the time being.

The night and following day were fairly eventless. Hana and Hinata had taken a long afternoon nap shortly after Corrin's speech so they could take the night watch, but they had nothing to report and fortunately didn't have to wake the castle for an invasion or anything so frightening. Thus, the next day the march had begun. They got to Dia without incident, but it seems the Nohrian ambush had prepared for them there. The good news was that it meant they would not likely have another sea battle, but the bad news was that it meant the time for battle was now.

"Aww, shit," Kamui scanned the battlefield, "it looks like they've got Zul and Varrick waiting for us."

Sure enough, two of Xander's retainers guarded the docks, one on one dock, and the other on the other dock. A few formidable-looking border guards also seemed to be patrolling the area. Fortunately it did not seem that the force was overly strong, but Kamui wondered if there was someone behind the scenes to keep Zul and Varrick under the same influential curse their liege was under.

"Ah," Varrick spoke up first as he noticed Corrin's army, "It seems we have visitors."

"To hell with 'em!" Zul raised her spear. "Kind of a shame to kill Lord Xander's little sister and all, but orders are orders, and I've been ordered to kill you—twice if it were possible!"

"Indeed," Varrick cooed, "as my beautiful wife has just stated, we're under orders to end your lives. So, do try to put a little magnificence into your deaths before you die then, yes?"

"Hmm," Reina chortled, "I like the way they think, really. Still, I promised Lord Corrin I wouldn't die this early on, and so I've got my word to keep. Have at you!"

Reina led the charge, but was soon flanked by Scarlet, Kamui, Hana, Hinata, Jakob, Takumi, and many others. Corrin launched into the fray as well, and the Battle of Dia had begun.


	80. Chapter 80: Operating on Orders

**AUTHOR'S NOTES:** _I apologize for the great tardiness of this chapter. November is NaNoWriMo, and this year has been slaughtering me for time. As such, I cannot promise that the next chapter will be up next week; it might take another week to show. I apologize in advance for that, as well as for the lengthy delay this chapter has suffered. Whatever the case, here's the big eight-zero, as we move to the port town of Dia and blitz through the game's 14th chapter. Because of the different format this story has followed, Silas is obviously not the boss here, and Elise does not appear due to (possessed) Garon keeping a better eye on his remaining children to keep his control over them. Also, in case I miss it, happy birthdays in advance to Camilla and best girl (Oboro), on the 30th and 28th of this month, respectively._  
 _Happy Reading!_

 **CHAPTER 80: Operating on Orders**

 _Sing with me a song of Orders and Guards..._

As the battle entered full scale, Corrin took a moment to analyze the situation. Most of the soldiers here were under Zul or Varrick's command, although Arozza pointed out a couple of them that were just border guards stationed in the area. Those, she indicated, were the ones most likely to stay out of their way unless provoked.

Corrin's troops, even the wilder ones like Hinata, Hana, Kamui, and Reina, proved to be rather well coordinated in their movements. It was a careful operation, and fighters like Rinkah, Jakob, and Corrin went to some of the open houses to warn the civilians there to lock up. Most didn't need to be told twice, although one of them did consider it a valuable tip, and thus left Rinkah with a large bag of gold which she promptly bludgeoned a Nohrian over the head with before stowing it and brandishing her trusty club once more.

Sakura soon found herself facing one of the border guards. She was a curious creature; the way her hair and face looked made her look far too delicate to be on a battlefield, but her revealing outfit presented a sculpted array of toned muscles almost as chiselled as Rinkah's.

She was fast, especially with the large axe she carried, but Sakura was faster, the nimble agility lessons she had learned from Zenzi once again paying off.

"Please!" Sakura evaded a powerful swing that would have likely cut her thin little frame cleanly in half had sht not dodged, "I-I don't want to fight you!"

"Then why don't you just bug off, lady?" the axe fighter growled, "I don't get paid enough to do this shit anyways, and I'd really hate to die here."

"Well, I don't want to kill you," Sakura repelled another blow with a burst of powerful magic, "c-can we just talk it out? Or can I at least know your name?"

"Charlotte," the woman did not lower her axe, but was no longer trying to cleave Sakura in two, "and listen, I'm busy being on guard duty. I don't have time for idle chitchat no matter how cute you are, especially since I already said I really don't get paid enough for this crap."

"I-I'm Sakura Ikarayu," Sakura kept her guard up to ensure she was not attacked, "you sound like you really don't want to be here."

"Good eye, Sakura…" Charlotte paused. "Wait, did you say Sakura Ikarayu?"

"Y-yes, that's my name—" Sakura began, before being cut off.

"Darn, so that means you're an enemy. King Garon would pay good coin for your head!" A crazed expression came over Charlotte's face as she swung again at Sakura, who squealed and jumped out of the way.

"Well, well…" Kamui sauntered over towards the scene and waved. "Sakura darling, is this guard being mean to you? Let me cut off her head real quick and we can get back to business."

Kamui's left hand morphed into a massive draconic claw that threw Charlotte off for a moment.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, Princess Kamui?" she gawked, "is this little one yours?"

"She's my ally, yes. And you should listen to her. I guarantee if money's what you're looking for that we can match it."

"Ohhh!" Charlotte's entire visage, as well as the very way she carried herself, changed. "I've been so terribly rude to you, Lady Sakura. Can you ever forgive me?"

"What?" Sakura looked a little taken aback, "you suddenly seem so… different."

"Oh I haven't the slightest idea what you mean, Princess Sakura!" Charlotte's very tone had also changed, "you were saying you'd want to be friends though, right? I'd love to be your friend. I'm not very strong but I'll do my best!"

"O… kay?" Sakura wasn't buying it, but knew better than to argue, "I forgive you by the way. It's no matter."

"Golly gee," Charlotte put a hand to her mouth before grinning, "thank you SO much!"

"Right then," Kamui morphed into a dragon and bounded away, "Time to take care of Zul and Varrick once and for all!"

It seemed the Nohrians were aware of what Corrin's army was trying to do, and so they became more defensive, which made battling their way through them that much more difficult. Mozu was not quite as ruthless against living Nohrians as she was against Vallite puppets, but she was still not afraid to stick her spear through anything that moved against her—she just aimed for the less vital parts of their bodies when she could. Eventually, however, she came across a mountain of man that she knew she wouldn't just be able to shrike-attack. In fact, when she saw his face, she wasn't sure she wanted to.

She could tell right away why most people had decided not to tangle with him. His sheer size and the daunting image his face cast about the look of a mighty warrior. He was very suitable choice for a border guard, because whatever was behind him wasn't getting touched—and neither was he, until Mozu showed up.

However, for a brief second the two made eye contact.

"Sorry," the man's voice was gentler than Mozu had expected, "It's nothing personal, little one. But I will get in trouble if I don't do my job, so let's end this quickly." He brandished that was about twice as long as Mozu's whole body.

"Wow you're a tall one," Mozu took a step back, "but you've really got such gentle eyes… has anyone ever told you that?"

The knight sighed. "You really shouldn't be here, young one. It's about to get dangerous."

"No foolin', I'm just a bit short for my age," Mozu pointed out, "and I'm kinda used to danger, for better or for worse, but after seeing your eyes, I really didn't wanna hurt ya."

"Hmm…" the man mumbled, "usually it's the opposite."

"Well I know I probably ain't got the authority to make this call or nothin', but you should join us. See them fellows with the red eyes… that can't be normal, can it?"

"No…" Benny glanced towards the red-eyed cavalry and shuddered. "No it isn't."

"Well, that's who we're tryin' to save. And we've even got Princess Kamui with us!" Mozu was no diplomat, but using a Nohrian princess to win the support of a Nohrian felt more like common sense than anything.

"Really now…" Benny glanced out and saw the purple-haired princess fighting with a terrifying ferocity. "She's a scary one. I'd rather be on her side than one of her enemies."

"I'm sure she'll love you!" Mozu smiled, "The name's Mozu, by the way, "what's yours?"

"Benny," the man grunted, "I'm just a border guard."

"Well, we could always do with more people like you." Mozu gave him a hopeful smile, "You look like a big gentle giant."

"Gentle, hmm?" Benny raised his brow, "you don't think I'm scary?"

"You? Scary?" Mozu tilted her head, "Why would I think that? I mean maybe I ain't the best one to ask about fears and all, but you remind me of a big huggable teddy bear."

"Heh," a smile appeared on Benny's grizzled visage, "Cute, huh? That's a first. Very well. I will fight at your side."

Once the Nohrians realized two of the border guards had turned on them, there began to be chaos in the ranks. Kamui exploited this to her advantage by berserking through the crowds to confront Zul and Varrick. Reina had already beaten her to it though, and was confronting Varrick, despite his archery nearly clipping her Kinshi's wings. She surprised him by jumping off of her mount, effectively dive-bombing him and also knocking him off of his horse.

"Would that I were allowed to slay you the way you're trying to do to me, I would cause the hymn of your death to echo through these streets with such accord!" Reina chanted as she twirled her lance with terrifying dexterity for a woman her age, "Come, show me what you are!"

"Ah, such a poetic and entrancing beauty," Varrick evaded Reina's deadly swings by twirling and ducking to evade her swings. "Were I not a married man I would likely sing poems about your beauty as I ended your life, but alas, such seems to not be fate today. I shall have to settle for peppering your body in my arrows, and singing the song of your death after I remove your head from your shoulders."

"We shall see…" Reina licked her lips, and their dance had begun.

Kamui, meanwhile, had barrelled for Zul, and had been a bit too reckless in her approach. While Kamui had managed to unhorse her as well, Zul's lance had impaled her. Perhaps in a vulgar display of power, she put both hands on her spear and raised it up, Kamui's flailing form still on it. Notwithstanding the blood dripping everywhere, Kamui executed a brilliantly stupid response . Clutching her dragonstone, she morphed into a dragon once again, and the weight of her new form collapsed her onto Zul, who was no longer able to suspend her the way she was when she was a small, thin humanoid.

 _"This is gonna hurt something fierce tonight…"_ she swore to herself, before slamming her leg down on Zul's chest, pinning her there. "Now you stay put just a spell," she growled, "speaking of which… AZURA WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU!?"

Almost as if waiting for her cue, she appeared and her song filled the air. It was fortunate in Varrick's case, because Reina was about to go berserk on him, having just smashed his bow from his hands. The crazed look of bloodlust in her eyes, coupled with the smattering of blood on her face from the many foes she had felled made her look that much more terrifying.

The music was not as potent as it had been around Ryoma and Camilla and the other royals, but it did not need to be. Xander's retainers were under a much more minor version of the curse; likely just a residual effect of working under him. The remainder of the Nohrian army stood down after their commanders were defeated, and the damage was assessed.

Sakura rushed to Kamui's side to try and heal the wound, but it was fairly deep. Zul looked particularly embarrassed about it as she dusted herself off.

"Yeah…" she scratched the back of her head, "Sorry about that. Not having control of your mind's kind of a bitch, and not being a healer myself, I'd probably just make things worse."

"She… she's going to be alright," Sakura sighed with relief, "but we should move. She needs rest more than anything at this point."

"I'd say we all do," Takumi nodded in agreement, "although I've gotta ask—who are these two?" Charlotte and Benny were clear newcomers, but almost no one got defensive considering that they stood amongst Corrin's ranks as equals rather than as hostiles or getting defensive.

"Who, little ol' me?" Charlotte cooed, putting a hand to her chest, "my name's Charlotte. I'm just a sweet little border guard trying to earn a bit of coin. Sweet Princess Sakura here offered me a job with you guys, and so I guess I'm coming along, yeah?"

"And this big gentle fella here is Benny," Mozu introduced her new friend. "Don't let him scare ya—he's the sweetest and gentlest man I've seen in years."

"I'm… glad you allowed me to come with you," Benny gave a small wave."

"Well, we're glad to have you both," Corrin smiled, hoping they would feel welcome. "We should get moving though—and rest and recuperate from the scuffle here."

"'Twas truly an invigorating battle," Reina sighed with happiness.

"Though I fear the next will be more daunting than this," Corrin turned to the others, "our next quest involves taking the Dragon's Trials at Notre Sagasse."

* * *

 ** _CHARACTERS RECRUITED:_ **

_**Charlotte:** A border guard (formerly royal guard) from Nohr with ambitions to marry above her station. She puts on whatever persona she thinks will make people like her, but favors a cutesy innocent act. Under her gold-digging persona, she is actually very kind-hearted, and a lot of her money goes to her impoverished parents as a sort of thanks for what they've done for her. The most recklessly bold. Born on 4 May (Age 23)  
Class: Berserker  
_

 _ **Benny:** A border guard from Nohr. His intimidating appearance is even scarier for his silence, but he's really just shy and quite gentle. As such, he is extremely easy to like once people get to know him. He is also known for always carrying a good-luck charm or two with him. His frightening appearance has been the source of many exaggerated stories about his deeds, although a few of them are actually true. Most of his friends are bears. Born on 24 March (Age 28)  
Class: General  
_

 _ **Varrick:** A secretive noble from some land or another who now serves as one of Xander's retainers. While many would brand him a buffoon or a braggart because of his frequent boasts, they are often founded on truth. A charming and charismatic man, he tends to act flirtatious, although his heart seems to be primarily set on his comrade, Zul. He spends a great deal of time primping, hence his fabulous appearance. The archest of archers. Born on 10 December (Age 28)  
Classes: Bow Knight/Sniper  
_

 _ **Zul:** A no-nonsense, capable retainer of Xander's with a mouth that would make brigands blush. While she has never made it clear where she came from, she had no trouble fitting in just fine in Nohr, where women (and even men) admire her strength and call her "The Woman to End All Men." Despite her skills, she is a horrendous cook who can make even the simplest recipes become practically toxic. The best at handling strong substances. Born on 5 December (Age 25)  
Classes: Paladin/Spear Master  
_


	81. Chapter 81: A Short Reprieve, Part 1

**AUTHOR'S NOTES:** _I apologize for the slight delay, but as promised, a couple weeks later and here's the next chapter! I should be able to get another one up next week and another the week after, although might get a little choppy during the holiday season, but I'll keep everyone posted in the author notes of the respective chapters. Anyways, this is a bit of a breather chapter before we go tackle the Dragon's Trials, and it's a little bit before we find Hinoka. We also get to see more Oboro, resolving a slight cliffhanger I dropped in chapter 68 with Beruka. Also, happy (upcoming) birthdays to Zul [5 Dec] and Varrick [10 Dec]. Those who forget who these two are need only check Awakening's roster for matching birthdays.  
Happy Reading!_

 **CHAPTER 81: A Short Reprieve, Part 1**

 _Sing with me a song of Losses and Gains…_

Even if Corrin's army had their next objective laid out before them, that did not mean that they did not need (or in some cases, simply desire) a bit of rest and recuperation. Much to her disdain, and despite a great deal of protect that ended with Rinkah receiving a cracked jaw, Oboro earning a nasty bruie on the side of her stomach, and Corrin getting knocked clean out, Kamui was dragged literally kicking and screaming to the healer's ward, where Sakura got to work taking care of her. Kamui still resisted, insisting she was fine, but only after accidentally giving Sakura a black eye did she finally relent. It did not stop the string of loud curse words that could be heard from across the grounds as she recovered though. Healing magic was not always a simple and painless process. It could cull bleeding and prevent festering in a wound, but it was not as simple as waving a staff and everyone magically feeling better.

"By the way," Oboro gave Kamui a serious stink-eye as she paid her 2nd-best friend a visit, "Rinkah and I are going to beat the shit out of you when you get better, so be prepared."

"Is this true, Rinkah?" Kamui seemed up for the challenge. Rinkah just grumbled, since her jaw injury made it very painful for her to move or open it, and the blood leaking out the left corner of her mouth and running down the side of her face made it look a lot worse than it was.

"Can you three give it a rest!" Sakura barked, "I'm already upset that so many people are injured; I don't need everyone turning on each other now!"

She paused, almost as if shocked by her own audacity. "I-I mean… I just don't like seeing people get hurt. Is that okay?"

Oboro and Rinkah were too flabbergasted to even make a retort. They simply nodded and left Kamui to her "misery" all alone.

Despite her injuries,Oboro also went to the far corner of the grounds, where a pair of shrines had been erected by Kamui in memorial of Ryoma and Camilla. She paid respects to Ryoma for multiple reasons, including that he was the High Prince of Hoshido, that he was the elder brother of Oboro's liege, and simply because he had been an honourable man and a formidable role model to all who looked to him.

Her respects paid towards Camilla were for different reasons. Barring Oboro's high respect for Camilla's deadly martial prowess and her fondness of sewing and fashion, Oboro paid respects to Camilla because Camilla had truly been her best friend. She wouldn't tell Kamui this, but not only had Oboro admitted to Camilla that the Nohrian was her best friend, but Camilla had also said the same thing in return about Oboro.

" _I still love my darling Kamui of course, and she's a close second,"_ she had told Oboro, _"but my love for a sibling is different than my love for a dear friend. You're a rare specimen, Oboro… powerful, passionate, beautiful and more. The man who wins your heart will be the luckiest man in Ferevs, at any rate…"_

"I miss you, Camilla…" Oboro sighed, reaching out towards the small (but still sizable) stone monument Kamui had erected in honour of Camilla. They had been close enough friends that Oboro had even dropped the honourifics that preceded Camilla's name. "you taught me that not everything in Nohr is as vile and despicable as the face Nohr decided to show me… you deserved better than this…"

"She did, didn't she?" A voice behind Oboro made her jump, despite the fact that said voice was extremely calm and gentle—and not one that most people would think belonged to an emotionless assassin like Beruka.

"Beruka!?" Oboro gawked, "what are you doing here?"

"I am paying respects to my liege of course," she replied calmly, lowering herself to her knees as Oboro had been, "Sorry if I startled you."

"I never really pictured you as the… ceremonial type." Oboro admitted.

"I'm not religious," Beruka answered, "although I've given it thought, particularly after Lady Camilla died. But—hmm, why is your eye twitching?"

"It's a bad habit," Oboro scratched the back of her neck, "most things Nohrian do that to me, but that reminds me. In Cheve when we fought, you stopped as if my name sounded familiar. Why?"

"Because it did." Beruka answered simply, "My foster father spoke in a very unusual way about the Fukui name."

"Was your foster father an assassin just like you?" Oboro's left eye twitched again and her face started to contort into a very unpleasant expression.

"He was," Beruka's face remained straight and emotionless. "But he is dead now, and so his life and lies are a thing of the past. Whatever his interest in the Fukui family was, died with him."

"Arrrgghh…" Oboro clutched her hair as if to rip it out, "the things I could have learned…"

"Hmm?" Beruka raised an eyebrow, glancing up at the Hoshidan. Height was not one of Beruka's talents, and as such, while Oboro was not very tall, Beruka was a very short woman, who still had to tilt her head back just slightly to look into Oboro's eyes.

"My mother and father were slaughtered by Nohrian assassins, hence the stink-eye," Oboro explained, "and had my liege not talked me out of it, I was ready to kill someone in anger with the same knife that I pulled out of my father's skull."

Oboro brandished said knife, which caused Beruka to raise an eyebrow.

"Aye, I have seen these blades before." Beruka nodded, "Whoever killed your parents was definitely part of my organization at some point."

"Was it you?" Oboro brought the knife so swiftly up to Beruka's throat that she was too impressed to even feel insulted.

"If it was me, I would have confessed to the deed." Beruka raised her hands. "I will not hesitate to claim deeds that I performed, but I will not take the blame for crimes I did not commit."

"Who did though?" Oboro demanded, "you know them, don't you."

"Assassins don't always know the names of everyone in their guild," Beruka deflected the question, not wanting to admit all that she knew, lest she incur Oboro's terrifying wrath. "Give me some time to analyze that blade and I could give you a name, if nothing else."

"No," Oboro put the blade back away from wherever she had gotten it, "I keep it at my side so that when I find its owner, I can use it to slice their throat the way they did to my mother, and then drive it through their skull the same way they did to my father!"

"Perhaps I should really consider religion," Beruka muttered to herself before looking up at Oboro again. "I am sorry for your loss, Oboro Fukui. But I have nothing more to say."

"I'm sorry for exploding… it's just—I hate Nohr, and then Camilla comes around and… it's confusing. Your story, your connection to the people I hate above all others… I need some time to sort out my thoughts and feelings. Please leave me be."

"Very well," Beruka shrugged, and walked off.

While others had gone to recover or recuperate (or in some fortunate cases, just to rest), Corrin, accompanied by his two retainers and Kaze, had given their newcomers a grand tour of the castle, (or at least a summed up rundown of what was where) to welcome Zul, Varrick, Charlotte, and Benny to New Kamui.

"Oooooh, a castle!" Charlotte rubbed her hands together excitedly. Benny was silent, although glanced over towards a field where Mozu was harvesting vegetables and throwing some of the less-savoury ones to an excited Keaton. Zul and Varrick chuckled to one another, exchanging a few words about how "of course Lady Kamui would do something like this."

"I don't want to pressure either of you this early on," Corrin added, "but any information you can give us about the current state of Nohr would be beneficial both to me and my army, and also to lady Kamui, who is anxious to unite with her three remaining siblings as soon as possible."

"But of course, milord," Varrick bowed, "Hold… three remaining siblings? Does this mean something happened to our dear Lady Camilla?"

"Right... " Corrin groaned, realizing that they would not have likely received the memo. "Camilla sacrificed her life to save Prince Takumi and Princess Sakura from the wrath of their elder brother, who was under the same curse as Xander, Leo, and Elise. They plunged beneath the waves in Cyrkensia, and many of us still mourn them both."

"Well, shit!" Zul swore, "I was wondering why she wasn't here to welcome us, but I guess that kind of explains a bit. So where are you going from here?"

"We're headed to Notre Sagasse to take the Dragon's Trials," Corrin explained, "After which we aimed to march to Nohr to try and free the leaders from the awful curse that grips them."

"Ah, and I suppose this is why you have come inquiring as to the whereabouts of my liege and his brethren?" Varrick cooed, "We would be honoured for the privilege of—"

"Out with it, ruffles." Zul slammed her palm against Varrick's mouth, "look, what my husband's trying to say is that we don't know much about what they're doing other than that King Garon is keeping his children close to him. Reaching them or most of their other retainers will be tricky."

"Essentially we would have to infiltrate Nohr," Varrick explained, toning down his flambouyance, "Perhaps attempt to goad one or more of them out at a time, although I suppose that truly I am not the tactician here. How fares Lady Camilla's retainers?"

"They're still alive," Corrin reassured them. "I take it you're going to direct me to Arozza?"

"Aye, a brilliant mind, that one." Varrick smiled, "we will share what we know with her when we can, and I'm certain she will get back to you."

"In the meantime," Zul stretched, her fatigue finally showing through her tough exterior, "is there anywhere I can throw my armor off and lay down at? Right about now this patch of carpet's starting to look really nice."

"Of course," Corrin nodded and showed them to their rooms.

"I'm sorry again about Camilla," he apologized, "If there had been more we could have done…"

"Shit happens, as she used to always say," Zul frowned, "it ain't your fault, kid. It sucks, and I'm gonna be pissed about it for the next couple of days I'm sure… but after a certain point, you just have to get up, shrug off the burden of bereavement, and move on." she sighed for a moment, and Varrick exchanged looks with her. Neither one wished to tell Corrin of their experiences with loss, which matched those of Roku, Zenzi, and Arozza. It would require too much explanation of too much that was not relevant to this time and place in Ferevs. Furthermore, it would rudely detract from the losses of Ryoma and Camilla that were still recent on many people's minds.

Corrin left Zul and Varrick to their own devices, and stepped out onto a balcony and gazed out into the night sky. They would have to march on Notre Sagasse soon, and as Corrin thought about that, he wondered if they would find Hinoka there or not. That had been the direction she had flown, and he hoped to find her soon—if nothing else, simply to bear the bad news of Ryoma's passing. It would be a very interesting next few days, for sure...


	82. Chapter 82: A Short Reprieve, Part 2

**AUTHOR'S NOTES:** _And this is the last 'breather chapter' before we progress again in the story. There's a few more interesting interactions, although I won't spoil too many of them. Kamui also gets some karmic justice, Oboro and Benny learn who is more terrifying, and we prepare to make the move on Notre Sagasse. I know for certain Hinoka will be appearing in the next chapter, but I suppose I'll worry about that when it arrives. In the meantime, here's this chapter. I'll try to have the next one up at the same time, but with the upcoming holiday season, it might not happen, so just a heads-up in advance.  
Happy Reading!  
_

 **CHAPTER 82: A Short Reprieve, Part 2**

 _Sing with me a song of Grudges and Strength…_

Varrick, Zul, Benny, and Charlotte had very little trouble getting used to New Kamui, and most of them received a warm welcome from the others. Charlotte unsurprisingly schmoozed with the royals as much as she could, while Zul and Varrick, Varrick in particular, often mingled with Camilla's retainers. Zul was usually found down at the Drunken Princess, where she, Rinkah, Oboro, and Kamui would have drinking contests (because even when she was in the medic's ward, the people of New Kamui knew better than to try and deny the girl her alcohol).

"Do you know who is an incredible drinker?" Kamui piped up one afternoon when the tavern was mostly empty. Oboro and Rinkah were not even present, and so instead their company was Kaze and Felicia speaking about something in a corner; and the quiet sounds of cards from a game Reina, Roku, and Kagero were playing.

"Beruka?" Zul raised an eyebrow as she looked around, almost as if she expected Beruka to walk in at that moment, although no such thing happened this time. Roku glanced around, although it seemed that he was less antsy around the Hoshidans he was quietly playing cards with (and winning). "I'm kind of surprised she hasn't shown up here much."

"Oh, well her too," Kamui quipped, taking another shot, "but also Zenzi—you know, my brother's retainer. She outdrank me once. It was insane!"

"Ha!" Zul laughed, "I wouldn't have thought it from her!" She tried imagining Olivia back when the Shepherds were still a thing, and found the idea of the little dancer outdrinking formidable alcoholics to be rather comical.

"You know her?" Kamui naturally had no clue about Ylisse, the Shepherds, or any connection Zul and Zenzi might have had.

"Well yeah," Zul shrugged, "I've spoken with her a few times since coming here. We were from neighboring countries way back when."

"Ah," Kamui put a finger to her chin as if trying to decide whether to pry or not. She decided against it, although Zul hardly felt guilty about telling the truth, considering Ferox was Ylisse's northern neighbor.

"Bottoms up?" Zul raised her glass, shaking Kamui out of her thoughts.

"Bottoms up!" Kamui raised her glass before emptying it.

While Charlotte, Zul, and Varrick had no trouble socializing, Benny much preferred the quieter parts of the castle grounds, which often included Mozu's fields. While this was also an easy place to find Mozu, she did not always appear here, and so when Oboro came wandering that way to look for her friend, she instead found Benny.

"You… are Oboro, right?" He spoke in his usual grunt.

"That's me," Oboro's left eye involuntarily twitched, "and you said you were Benny, yeah?"

"Yes." Benny's face grew slightly more uncomfortable the more he watched Oboro's eyes.

"Are… are you alright?" like Mozu, Oboro was not fazed by Benny's intimidating appearance, especially now as she was learning firsthand that he was a gentle soul.

"I… am fine." Benny muttered, "but your face…"

"What's wrong with my face?" Oboro's face twisted into something much more frightening, although this was more out of surprise and curiosity than anger at this point.

'"GAAH!" Benny recoiled, his hands reaching into one of his bags to clutch something inside. "Stay back, demon!"

That word made it click in Oboro's mind why Benny was freaking out.

"Oh, huh…" she mused, "that's weird."

"That was terrifying…" Benny did not hesitate to admit, "I've never seen someone before that was scarier than me…"

"But you're not that scary at all!" Oboro exclaimed, "sorry for scaring you. My… face kind of just does this thing any time I'm around Nohrians. It's a bad habit, and I'm really trying to work on it." She sighed, thinking of Camilla again. With Kamui it was easy because she had Hoshidan blood in her, but Camilla was about as Nohrian as they came, barring perhaps Xander. Despite that, she didn't make Oboro's face contort, which gave Oboro a ray of hope. Perhaps by befriending this man, she could stop scaring him.

"That's okay," Benny assured her, "I also had my good luck charms to keep me safe."

He pulled his hand out of his bag to reveal a small collection of unique little trinkets that were clearly hand-crafted. Oboro's face actually lit up with curiosity.

"You made these?" Oboro glanced up at Benny curiously again, although her left eye involuntarily twitched again.

"I-I did…" Benny glanced away from Oboro, slightly intimidated by Oboro's involuntary half-glare. "A-and… you're making that face again."

Oboro frowned. "Huh… dammit, sorry. I really don't know why I can't control it… Nohr and I have a really nasty history, and it just… kind of gets the best of me sometimes."

"Maybe I should make more charms…" Benny mused aloud.

"Come on, I'm just a little girl!" Oboro tried not to laugh. "It's not like I point my weapon at you every time I make that face, is it?"

"I have seen enough strong women to know what they are capable of doing bare-handed," Benny explained, "Men too, although they are easier to spot. You know the little Hoshidan Mozu, yes?"

"Of course I do!" Oboro's smile became much more genuine as she thought of one of her other close friends, "she's a sweetheart. Usually she's here on these farms too. Do you know her? Or do you know where she is?"

"We… have talked some," Benny nodded, "She is a very kind woman."

"Isn't she though?" Oboro beamed, her eyes squinted slightly to conceal the twitch in her left eye, "have you seen her lately?"

"She should have been back by now," Benny glanced around, before slowly rising to his feet. He was a good head and shoulders taller than Oboro, if not more, and so he essentially towered over her as he glanced around for signs of the little farmer. "I was just watching the fields for her until she came back."

"Well… do you mind if I wait around with you?" she asked, "I'll try not to be too scary."

"Alright then," Benny steeled his resolve, and tried to stay collected around Oboro. There was sort of an awkward silence between the two for a while, but Benny remained composed, and Oboro remained calm all the way until Mozu showed up.

It turned out she was only running a few minutes late, but had returned with several baskets.

"Thanks again, Benny," she smiled as she gave the bear of a man a sweet little hug, "I really appreciate you watching it for me."

"Always a pleasure," Benny smiled before stumping off.

"Be a dear and stop by again, yeah?" Mozu called out, before noticing Oboro. "Oh, howdy hey, Oboro! I didn't expect to see ya here. Isn't Benny the sweetest teddy bear you ever met?"

"He's very kind," Oboro sighed as her eye stopped twitching, "and I feel bad. I think I scared him."

"Well, he's kinda a timid fella for how big and strong he is…" Mozu indicated, "but what'd you do? You're not scary at all."

"Am I?" Oboro twisted her face into her infamous demonic glare. Mozu actually squeaked.

"Crikey, that's a bit terrifying, actually!" Mozu bit her fingernails, "you made that face at him? Why would you do that? Did he hurt you or somethin'?"

"No… it's that tic I have around Nohrians," Oboro leaned back against a fence post, "and as hard as I try to suppress it, it still shows up even among people as kind and gentle as Benny."

"You didn't make that face much after you got to know Princess Camilla," Mozu pointed out, "Do you think maybe if you befriended more Nohrians that it might stop?"

"Well sure…" Oboro stammered, "but even then, if they're too afraid of me, I won't be able to get to know them no matter how friendly they are. I can't control it either, and that's a lot more frustrating than I thought it would be. It's like I'm broken or something!"

"But, Oboro…" Mozu gave the taller girl an earnest expression, "...you *are* broken. And bei' broken like that can to things to ya… really scary things sometimes. Now I dunno your full story and I ain't gonna pry or nothin'... but a really close and really pretty friend of mine once told me that trauma can hijack your mind sometimes… and make ya do all sorts of crazy things you might not do normally…"

"Someone has a good memory," Oboro forced a smile.

"You've done a lot for me, Oboro…" Mozu smiled back, "and a lot for many others too; I've seen it. But seriously, it's been helpful. I still have panic attacks sometimes, and there are times when I really don't want to weigh anyone else down with them. I just need to stop, take a deep breath, and remind myself that sometimes my sense of reason gets hijacked… sometimes I think you just gotta do the same thing, Oboro."

"But I've been doing it for years," Oboro argued, "and there are plenty of Nohrians that I legitimately hate."

"I understand that, and I know ya do too," Mozu put a hand on Oboro's shoulder, "you just have to remember that you ain't tryin' to do it towards the Nohrians that are your allies. Just think of Princess Camilla… or even Lady Kamui. People like Benny or Arozza might be Nohrian, but they're friendly and don't mean ya any harm…"

"Right… thank you for that, Mozu." Oboro sighed, "I… just needed to compose myself. Thank you again."

"What are friends for, eh?" the little farmer elbowed her playfully, "come swing on by the fields again if you wanna stop n' have another chat, y'hear?"

"Gladly," Oboro smiled, "although speaking of which… I need to find my friend Rinkah."

"Oh? What for?" Mozu raised a curious eyebrow.

"We just have a little meeting to arrange with Lady Kamui now that she's recovered." Oboro replied, hiding the devious smirk from her friend.

"Oh!" Mozu didn't suspect a thing, "Well send her my best wishes, y'hear?"

"Of course," Oboro gave her friend a sweet smile. That was something she couldn't ignore.

Kamui was relieved to be out of the hospital ward, although Jakob, Felicia, Sakura, and others made her stay a lot less dreary. She was slightly confused however, when she ran into Oboro and Rinkah, both of them wearing devious and almost vengeful smirks.

"Hey," Kamui waved, hardly suspecting a trap at first, "what brings you two to… oh." The fact that they had both started punching their open palms gave away their intentions immediately.

"You two were actually serious about that?" Kamui gawked, "come on, I just got out of the hospital ward!"

"And you nearly put us in it because of your rebelliousness," Rinkah cracked her knuckles. "Now, you can either take your beating like a girl, or you can take it like a coward..."

The next time Corrin saw his sister, she looked worse for wear—almost to the point of looking worse now than she had been at the battle of Dia. He actually took a step back from shock when he saw her.

"SISTER!?" he gawked, "are you alright? Did you get ambushed?"

"As a matter of fact I did," Kamui laughed, "fuckin' Oboro and Rinkah got me good. In their defense, I kind of had it coming."

"You've got a black eye, a cracked jaw, your right arm is bleeding, you've got a hole in your shirt that looks like a welt forming, and you're walking with a limp… and you say you're 'fine'?" Corrin could not believe his sister sometimes, and this was one of those times.

"Well, I did rough 'em up pretty good," Kamui laughed triumphantly, "these are just more scratches and scars to add to my collection. Honestly, it looks a lot worse than it actually is."

"That's still not okay," Corrin warned, "I'm going to have to speak with them about it."

"Nah, don't," Kamui shook her head, taking her brother's hand, "seriously, it's not worth it. I beat them up, they beat me up. It was a simple trade-off, really, and karma coming to give me the ass-kicking I deserved."

"Will you be fit enough to march with us tomorrow as we move to Notre Sagasse?" Corrin asked.

"Of course," Kamui raised her fist, "a few injuries never stopped me. I need a word with Zul about the way she impaled me and lifted me up though… I'm not going to lie—that was fucking awesome."

"You were impaled." Corrin gawked, "IM. PALED."

"And I lived, bitch." Kamui laughed, "It'll take more than that to kill the Dusk Dragon. I'll be waiting for you bright and early, brother. Tomorrow, like you said—we march on Notre Sagasse."


	83. Chapter 83: The Lost Wanderers

**AUTHOR'S NOTES:** _I'll try to get another chapter up next week, but since that's Christmas Day, I can't make any promises. In the meantime, here's something of a precursor chapter to the inevitable meeting with the Rainbow Sage that we're going to get in the next chapter or two. We also get an explanation of where Hinoka ran off to, and get to meet a pair of unusual faces. These characters will have more of a presence than the Amiibo units, although I'm not fully sure if they're going to be full-on "recruited" or not. If they don't sound familiar, then may I recommend Shadows of Valentia.  
Happy Reading!_

 **CHAPTER 83: The Lost Wanderers**

 _Sing with me a song of Mages and Mercs…_

Hinoka woke up to finding herself on the edge of a mountain, dazed, confused, and equipped with nothing but the clothes on her back. She shivered slightly from the cooler high-altitude air nipping at her shoulders, face, and thighs, and glanced around as she attempted to help her vision get back into focus. The more she blinked, however, the blurrier everything seemed to become. She could make out blurs and colors, but ultimately it still felt like her head was spinning when her eyes tried to display shapes to her.

"Azama?" she called out, although her voice was even raspier than it normally was, "Setsuna? Ryoma? Anyone?"

Her voice echoed through the mountain range, but fell on deaf ears. She did not understand why her vision was so blurry, but as she tried to recall recent events, everything was a blur. She remembered Mikoto's death, Camilla's presence, and then meeting the Nohrians on the field of battle before insanity overtook her. Everything after that was a blur until now. She wondered if she was permanently blind or if it was just from the fall she apparently took. She rose shakily to her feet, realizing that the ground beneath her was not exactly level. She stepped on something that felt like a rod, and crouched down to pick it up. She recognized the handle and felt all the way to the blade at the end—Wishblade. She was relieved not to have lost her legendary weapon, and so she strapped it to her back and tried to find a way up or down the mountainside she was on, keeping her hands and body close to the cliff to prevent another plunge.

She could not make out details visually, but could tell that shadows generally meant gaps in the rock, and so she tried to make her way over them. She made decent progress for a while, but eventually she misstepped, and stumbled. She scrambled for the ledge, seizing it with one hand, but her grip was weakening from the looseness of the rocks. Hinoka shrieked as she plunged, although she managed to push herself against the cliff and scrape her way down a bit to prevent freefalling and splattering against the jagged rocks at the bottom.

After what felt like miles (but was likely only a few dozen feet at a time), Hinoka hit the ground and her ankles immediately buckled, causing her to fall flat on her face. She decided to just rest there a while as she tried to recover, and shake off the racking pain that was now surging through her head, her right shoulder, her backside, and her ankles.

 _"Fuck… my… life…"_ she groaned, and remained motionless as she listened to the noises around her. It was silent except for the breeze whistling through the cliffs and the rocks above and below her. While she had fallen, she had not reached the foot of the mountain—merely a leveler part of the slope above her.

For the next several minutes, there was silence, the injured princess remaining motionless apart from her back slowly rising and falling with her slightly laboured breaths. For a while she was left alone, with only the silence and the breeze to keep her company, but soon she heard a pair of voices, one male and one female.

Her left ear, which was not against the ground, perked. At first she got excited and thought it was Azama and Setsuna, but soon realized that the woman's voice was much too focused and sultry to be Setsuna, and the man's voice was too deep and monotonous to be Azama's.

"We wouldn't be on the side of this Duma-forsaken mountain if you had just asked for directions!" the female voice raised slightly.

"So now it's my fault?" the man grunted, "because only men are allowed to speak to strangers in this country, I'm sure."

"Come now, Deen," the woman used the man's name, "any time I ask for directions people think I'm trying to seduce them. That's how we got lost in the first place."

"You act like your voice is the only part about you that can be considered seductive," Deen's tone changed just slightly enough for Hinoka's still-keen ears to recognize the sarcasm he was projecting, "I'm sure the deliberate way you sway your hips as you walk has nothing to do with it—and don't even get me started on that outfit."

"I'm a mage, Deen, not some rough-n-tumble grunt like you," the woman gave an exasperated sigh as Hinoka heard their footsteps growing nearer. "Besides, what's the point of doing anything if you don't look your best?"

"It's called practicality, Sonya," Deen finally used the woman's name. "Maybe try learning it."

"Touché," Sonya riposted, "I'm surprised you can even see at all with your hair covering your one good eye. Where's the practicality in that?"

"You just worry about not twisting your ankle on a rock in those heels," Deen quipped, "I'll watch myself just fine, thanks."

"Come now, you know you like them…" Sonya was in the middle of saying before the two happened upon Hinoka.

"And what have we here…" she raised an amused eyebrow as she glanced down at the red-haired princess, "as much as I favour destruction, this one needs a hand before we can get any directions out of her…"

"I'm… fine…" Hinoka grunted, but she suddenly felt a wave of relaxing energy course through her, which felt not unlike a healing wave from one of Sakura's rods. "Oh, huh…" she sat up, rubbing her eyes a little. They were slightly better than on the mountain, but she could still not see entirely clearly. She did, however, make out two purple-haired figures. Had they been wearing grey and black, she might have thought they were Corrin and Kamui, but the dark shades of red that made up their clothing, coupled with a brighter patch near the woman's hip that matched the color of her face and skin betrayed that these were strangers to her.

"My, my, you're a pretty one," Sonya was the one to speak again, "and you look almost as lost as we are. If nothing else, you at least look like someone native to… wherever this place is."

"You don't know what continent you're on?" Hinoka gawked, blinking a few times as her slightly glazed eyes tried to put the two characters into focus.

"It's a long and rather boring story, really," Sonya drolled, "unless you're familiar with Rigel?"

"Rigel?" Hinoka let the name roll off her tongue, "I don't think there's a country by that name here in Ferevs that I know of."

"Ferevs, hmm?" Deen muttered, "so this is very obviously not Valentia."

"I can't say I've heard of that place either," Hinoka admitted, "but I suppose I should take note that you aren't trying to kill me, and so I assume you're not hostile."

"We're way too over our heads to consider hostilities," Deen grunted, "and it's clear we know where we aren't, but can you tell us where we are?"

"My vision's a bit hazy from the fall," Hinoka muttered, "but from my understanding, this is a place called Notre Sagasse, and we're not far from a man that might be able to get you home to Rigel or wherever it is you call home."

"And you're just going to do this for us out of the goodness of your heart?" Sonya piped up, "I mean, I don't know how clear or not your vision is, but we're mercenaries of a sort, and so generally we're the ones asking for payment."

"Well, mercs or not, I'm not going to pay you to send you home," Hinoka gave a hollow laugh, "I'm happy to help you two, really—the only thing I want in return at this point is for you two to be my eyes for a while until my sight comes back."

Deen and Sonya exchanged glances before sighing as if in defeat.

"Very well," Sonya purred, "Lead the way and we'll keep an eye out for you… not that I imagine there's much that will bother us halfway up a mountain…"

"I…" Hinoka had not expected them to agree so readily, "Thank you, actually. By the way, the name's Hinoka Ikarayu, 2nd Princess of Hoshido."

"...Which means someone owes me a dance tonight," Deen smirked, winking his good eye at Sonya, who scowled. "The name's Deen," Deen continued, and despite his somewhat cheesy and awkward grin, he was not actually trying to flirt with Hinoka, "and my surly mage friend who knows little about dressing practically is named Sonya."

"I'm fully able to introduce myself, thank you." Sonya pushed him aside, "He is right about my name, but he's also something of a boor unless you can point his sword at an enemy long enough for him to shut up. Still… if the top of the mountain is our main goal, we should move."

"So taking the trails is out of the question…" Hinoka murmured, "we're going to have to finish scaling the mountain. The man that might be able to get you home is known as the Rainbow Sage. He normally only grants boons to people who complete his trials… but maybe he'll make an exception this time."

"I'm not afraid of any trials," Deen grunted, "We'll do it the right way."

"If you want to climb down to the base of the mountain and enter that door that you warned me not to set foot in, Deen, be my guest." Sonya quipped, "I for one don't wish to spend the next 3 hours climbing down a mountain only to have to spend Oblivion-knows how many hours busting my ass through some trials just to talk with an old man."

"I hate to be the tie-breaker or anything here," Hinoka spoke up, "but we should probably get moving upward rather than try to retrace our steps."

"Fine then," Deen shrugged. "You're the navigator, boss. Lead on."

To the good fortune of Hinoka, Sonya, and Deen, the trio managed to reach the base of the highest tower fairly easily. Hinoka glanced up, still able to see little save for details of darker patches across the tower's white walls.

"We scaling this or something?" Deen spoke up, "I'm not seeing any doors."

"That's the plan," Hinoka suggested, "it'd still be faster than going through the conventional way."

"Hey, I'm not pushing for that," Deen grunted, "Just wanted to make sure we're on the same page and all that jazz. Think you can climb this, Sonya? Or would you rather hop that sweet little ass of yours onto my back?"

"I'm certain I could," Sonya flicked some bangs out of her face, "but if you're offering a ride, I'll happily accept. Besides, it would be a pleasant demonstration of your manly strength."

"Bite me," Deen grunted, taking Sonya's hand fairly gently before pulling her up piggyback style. "Up you go. And how about you, princess?" he glanced at Hinoka.

"I've scaled worse," Hinoka shrugged, "I can handle it."

"Can you see alright?" Sonya spoke up, "I'd hate to watch someone as cute as you lose their footing halfway up and crack your skull open as you fell back against these unforgiving rocks…"

"If I can't do it, I might request your assistance," Hinoka answered, "until then, let's move."

Despite her lack of clear vision, Hinoka managed to scale the side of the building, and Deen proved to possess remarkable strength and dexterity, considering that he was able to not only keep up with her, but also to do so with Sonya on his back.

"I take it we're shooting for that window, hmm?" Deen cocked his head towards Hinoka as they were halfway up.

"Right," Hinoka nodded, "just a bit further…"

They managed to squeeze through the uppermost window of the tower, where to Hinoka's great pleasure, they found the man she was looking for, who seemed somewhat surprised about his visitors' method of entry.

"It is rare that the Rainbow Sage receives visitors," he spoke up as Deen set Sonya down, "and your method of entry was certainly… unconventional."

"I apologize for breaking in," Hinoka began, "it's a complicated story."

"Do tell," the sage smiled, "and have a seat if you wish. Make yourselves at home."

Hinoka did exactly that while Deen and Sonya did the same behind her. She then launched into an explanation of what had happened, from her confusion in Cyrkensia to waking up stranded on the mountain, to her current situation and blurry vision. She also explained Deen and Sonya's situation and how they were trying to get home.

"Rigel…" the sage put his hands to his chin, stroking his beard, "I have heard of such a place, although I lack any sort of power to take your friends there. They must seek out the Outrealm Gate, although with the turmoil across Ferevs, it is not only dangerous to travel, but also dangerous to tamper with. She who would become a god would use that ability well beyond the scope of Ferevs if she was to find it."

"And so I take it what you're saying is that we picked a bad time to get lost." Sonya scoffed.

"For good or ill, your safest bet would be to remain here for a time," the sage advised, "There are others that may be able to assist you that are coming this way."

"Well, if you're offering us free room and board," Sonya quipped, "the least we could do is thank you for your generosity… and believe it or not, I think I need a bath."

"That'd be a sight," Deen muttered. Sonya did not reply apart from flashing him a wink.

"Ah, speaking of sight…" the Rainbow sage beckoned Hinoka forward, before touching her eyes. She blinked a few times, and saw everything clearly once again. "I do not know what was clouding your vision, but I fear it may have been residual malice from the curse you were under."

"Curse?" Hinoka, much like the others, was not familiar with her time under the curse, and had hazy memories of these events as a result. "Is that what happened?"

"That it was, Lady Hinoka," the sage smiled as Deen left to go find himself a room for the time being, "but do not stress it right now. I can see the exhaustion across your face, and you need rest. Besides… an odd pair of fellows calling themselves Azama and Setsuna dropped by earlier and asked about you."

"Azama and Setsuna passed the Dragon's Trials?" Hinoka gawked.

"Truth of the matter is that I am unsure if they did or not. Those who wish to pay this old man a visit do not need to vanquish my trials—merely those who wish a boon."

"And yet you cured my blindness," Hinoka exclaimed, "despite us sneaking in through the window and averting the trials altogether."

"There are more trials than one, young lady," the sage chuckled, "the willpower and strength it took to get here was also rather clever. You amused an old man with your antics, and that does not happen often. Now come… rest a while. I'm certain your friends are likely wandering my halls, and the twins who wield my sacred blades should be at my doorstep very soon…"

"Wait, what!?" Hinoka had put 2 and 2 together to realize that the 'visitors' he was talking about were most likely the twins. However, the only response the Rainbow Sage gave her was a smile as he walked away...


	84. Chapter 84: The Illusion Delusion

**AUTHOR'S NOTES:** _After nearly a month I'm back and ready for action once again, with apologies for the delays. Holidays and work pretty much owned me for a while, but since like hell was I going to work on my 27th birthday, I got the day off, and so I'm able to post this now. Anyhoo, my personal life isn't too important to the course of this story, and so I'll spare the sermons. Suffice to say, I should be back on my regular Monday update schedule as of immediately. This one's also slightly longer than many of my other chapters, so there's that little bonus for folks too.  
Anyhoo, as far as the story is concerned, The Dragon's Trials play out somewhat differently than they did in Revelation, and because of the way things panned out in this fic, the next chapter is the one that will truly mark the end of Act 4. The Rainbow Sage knows a great many things, and we get to meet several new faces in this chapter, including one of the child characters—and this one is one that actually joins the army right away, rather than someone elusive like Marzichel. Anyhoo, I've rambled enough.  
Happy Reading!  
_

 **CHAPTER 84: The Illusion Delusion**

 _Sing with me a song of Trials and Defense…_

While no one was surprised that Kamui was drunk the next morning, Corrin was admittedly surprised that she was functional, although when he said this to her, Kamui simply laughed.

"Come now, brother," she belched, "I haven't been sober in months."

"That explains a lot, but I'll save my lectures for later." Corrin shook his head as he headed to the armory, "although you should probably consider taking better care of yourself, sister."

"I'm fine," Kamui shrugged and went off in the opposite direction before being stopped by Silas.

"Your brother's got a point, Milady." he pointed out.

"Duma's ass chabs," Kamui growled, "did he get you in on this issue too?"

"In a way," Silas admitted, "but my remarks are more a personal concern for you and your health and well-being."

"Oh, come on," Kamui shook her head vigorously, sending purple curls in every direction, "I'm awake, I'm alive, and I've got the strength and sanity to know how to swing my sword and which way to point it. I'm doing just fine." She took a few practice swings with the Dusk Yato as if to prove her point.

"I'm not trying to call you a liar or anything, Lady Kamui," Silas gave her a respectful nod, "it's just…" he stammered for a moment. "I care about you—a lot. So I just want to make sure you're okay. I'm not trying to be your dad or your caretaker or anything like that. I'm just a man showing some concern for a woman he cares about."

"I…" Kamui was slightly taken aback, "I understand, Silas. Just… give me some time to figure some things out, alright? I'll stay safe in our upcoming battle… y'know. Or I'll try to. Either/or. It's hard to tell at this point."

"That's what I'm worried about…" Silas muttered under his breath as Kamui walked away. He decided not to press the issue, however, and instead helped the army prepare to move out to go and take the Dragon's Trials.

 _Sevenfold Sanctuary, Notre Sagasse, around the same time_

Hinoka had heard that Corrin's army was approaching, since she and her friends believed the Rainbow Sage, but there was so far no sign of any of them. Azama and Setsuna had revealed themselves, however, and so Hinoka and her retainers were reunited. An interesting peculiarity were the three others that showed up to accompany them.

The first was a little girl who looked hardly older than 15 or 16. Hinoka watched her speak with the Rainbow Sage, and a few of the old man's warnings made her uncertain.

"I come crawling all the way up here only to find out that this wasn't even the trial?" the little girl furrowed her brow.

"It was not," the sage spoke softly, "Although you and I both know that that is not why you are here anyways, do we not, Nyx Sherazi?"

"Ugh," Nyx growled, "Look, I've run into some of the people you're sheltering here, and I'm seeking the same type of refuge. Either tell me where I can find a place to be away from the world or tell me what I have to do to get that information out of you."

"You are required to do nothing, least of all hear me out," the sage explained, "You are welcome to linger here as long as you desire. Just know that it will not always be as safe as it is now."

"Alright then," Nyx replied curtly, "I'll be on my way."

The little sorceress rose to her feet, dusting off her hips, and headed for the stairs. Right as she disappeared from that floor and appeared on the one below it, however, she crossed paths with Sonya, who was seated nearby engrossed in a book.

"Oh," she looked up again, "Hello again, tiny one."

"Hmph," Nyx scoffed, "Were that you knew how wrong that statement was."

"You suppose that my own beautiful youth has warranted naiveté?" Sonya riposted, "Sweetheart, I may not know your exact age, but I can tell by the way you carry yourself and the way you speak that you're likely at least twice my tender young age. Regardless of whether you're twice my age or half of it, however, your size warrants your title as a tiny one."

"So are you here to berate a lost woman for trying to find shelter away from this gods-forsaken war, or do you have some sob story of your own to cry to me about?"

"Feisty…" Sonya closed her book and smirked, "I like you. I have my own nightmares and daydreams rooted in my past that I'm sure would bore you to tears to hear me ramble about, and I'm frankly not fond of speaking of them anyways."

"Then perhaps you have a better understanding of what I went through than I first assumed," Nyx admitted, "Dark magic, blood on my hands, crimes against humanity, the usual. Do any of your tales contain morbid episodes such as those?"

"Many close," Sonya's smile disappeared, "Although not one that affected my appearance. I'm not here to offer my pity, but if someone like me can atone for my crimes, I'm sure you could do the same."

"Mmm…" Nyx mused, "Perhaps I'll stay for the time being then. You are not half as bad as I thought, Sonya."

"I should hope not," Sonya put a hand to her chest. "I hit my real low a few years ago anyways. I try not to think about going back to that again."

While Sonya had met Nyx, Deen continued the trend by running into another traveller that same evening. He was in one of the corridors testing his blade against some of the sage's illusions, when he crossed paths with a black and white-haired bowman.

"Well then," he raised his good eyebrow, "you're a different sight than these lifeless illusions I've been duelling with."

"I'm here on necessity," the man replied, "Came to get the sage's strength to take back my homeland from this usurping bastard named Kotaro. What dragged you all the way out here?"

"Believe it or not," Deen quipped, "my friend and I were lost in Duma-knows-where. Some princess of Hoshido found us, and so we've followed her. She seems to at least have a slight idea where the hell we are."

"Help a brother out then?" the outlaw offered, "you help me, I'll help you?"

"You don't look like a pushover," Deen nodded, "I see nothing wrong with this. Maybe we should test our steel one of these nights. The name's Deen, by the way."

"Name's Shura," the bowman introduced himself, "and I'll take up your offer after the Trials if that's alright. I'm not against a few sparring injuries, but I need my full strength until after I pass these trials, you get me?"

"No arguments here," Deen cracked a rare half-smirk. "Let's go."

Nyx and Shura were both wary of the others when they all met back up, but all in all, the small party which now consisted of seven people, seemed to accept one another at face value. The final addition to the party prior to the arrival of Corrin's army was an unexpected little hooded girl with bright blue eyes that seemed to recognize most of Hinoka's group.

"The Rainbow Sage told me to join you," she spoke in an upbeat voice. The youngster couldn't have been much older than 11 or 12 considering her size; and unlike Nyx, she didn't have that cool, refined style of speech the way she did. "Is… is that okay?"

Hinoka glanced into the child's sky blue eyes, pausing for a moment because she swore they looked familiar.

"What's your name?" she asked bluntly.

"Midori!" the youngster hopped up and down, "I… uh, would explain where I was from, but it's kind of confusing. You can trust me though, right?"

Hinoka was not one to normally trust someone she just met, but the heartwarming little smile that Midori gave her practically radiated a truthful innocence.

"I see no reason why not," Hinoka smiled, "you're safe with us."

This statement would be put to the test the following day, however. Azama and Setsuna burst into Huinoka's chambers, but both looked surprisingly calm.

"Milady," Azama began, "you might want to grab your weapon."

"Hmm?" Hinoka was not alarmed because of how at ease both Setsuna and Azama looked.

"We're under attack or something?" Setsuna looked up, "illusions and stuff swarming the lower floors. I said hi but they almost took my arm off."

Hinoka gave a long, drawn-out sigh. "Right then." she rolled her eyes, "at the very least, we need to defend the sanctuary. Do you know where the others are?"

"Others?" Azama raised an eyebrow, "I figured they were smart enough to hear the sounds and know what to do."

"Y-you didn't warn them?" Midori looked alarmed, "th-they could get ambushed! Or worse!" the youngster jumped to her feet and ran down a hallway banging on the doors to get the attention of Deen, Sonya, Nyx, and Shura. Within 14½ minutes, all eight of them were ready for combat, and it became clear why. Red and purple invaders were swarming the castle, and were cutting down the usual illusions that the Rainbow Sage had in his trials.

As ditzy and unfocused as Setsuna appeared to be on a regular basis, she was without a doubt a talented archer who knew exactly what she was doing. She immediately seized a vantage point and began firing on her enemies, putting some of them on a defensive. Azama didn't even bother moving. He simply stood his ground out in the open, armed with a healing rod and a coy smirk. Those who tried to strike him were face with their attacks turning against themselves, which slowed their approach. Deen jumped right into the fray alongside Shura, with the two of them deciding to count their KOs while Nyx and Sonya stood near the back and slung spells in every direction.

Midori remained by Hinoka's side as she fought her way through the masses, with Hinoka wondering who these invaders were. They seemed much more coordinated than the usual rabbles, and even the invisible soldiers in Cyrkensia didn't seem this coordinated either. She swung her trusty lance, blocking strikes and attacks from many of them, although there were some of them that began to look familiar: an archer with a mystic bow and a deadly aim; a sword-wielding man who turned into a dragon, a little priestess slinging dangerously powerful spells… there was no way this was coincidence.

"Takumi!?" she yelled, "Sakura? Corrin? It's Hinoka! What's wrong with you?"

They didn't have that possessed look in their eyes the way Xander, Ryoma, and the rest of them had on the Hoshidan plains when everything had spiraled out of control. Instead, they were shrouded under black, purple, and red, and did not reply at first.

"They look like illusions!" Midori exclaimed, "I… is that my dad!?" she ducked to avoid a shuriken that would have taken out her right eye, and shook her head. "Please don't falter, Lady Hinoka! We need you to stay strong."

"I don't plan on faltering, or giving way to these things..." Hinoka twirled her Wishblade with a deftness that blocked a throwing club from splitting her skull, "I don't care who they are or who they are with. I will NOT let them pass!"

However, a voice from the dark made her question that thought.

"Hinoka?" It sounded like Corrin, "it's us! It's your younger siblings. Where are you?"

"I'm fighting illusions that look like you!" she yelled, not sure where they were, "It seems these trials threw their whole army of illusions at us!"

"I'm fighting a vicious warrior that I could swear was you as an illusion," Corrin's voice answered, "Although I have no idea where we are."

"Even if they aren't the illusions we're fighting," Sonya spoke up as she blasted a soldier in the face with a powerful blast of wind magic, "it's not like we have a conventional way to snap them out of this madness, do we?"

"Perhaps we can meet up with the real ones," Hinoka suggested, parrying another strike from the dragon, "We can't let them break this line."

"I didn't live 65 years only to be stopped here," Nyx ensnared an axe fighter with a black magic spell that stopped the assailant dead in her tracks, where she fell to the ground motionless. "You keep yourself safe, child. We can handle ourselves…"

The illusion army that Corrin's army was facing was just as resilient. He, Takumi, and Sakura recognized three of the illusions as being reminiscent of Azama, Setsuna, and Hinoka, but the rest of them seemed foreign. Only Reina recognized one of the others.

"You look an awful lot like my friend Shura," she cooed as she deflected a slew of arrows with a parry of her naginata, "It's a right shame he's not actually here to hear the good news…"

"I can hear ya, lady!" Shura's voice shouted back, "What's the good news? And for that matter, where the hell are you hiding?"

"Face me and find out," Reina cooed. "If you can find me…" Reina was not hiding, but she had seen no sign of anyone outside of their army that looked normal, and so she assumed Shura was somewhere deeper in the maze.

Hinoka's crew was vigilant in holding their line, but as the struggle continued, they realized that they would eventually cave. They were outnumbered, and were starting to wear out, even with the talented warriors that were her team surrounding her. There was particular alarm when one of the illusions broke through their ranks, beelining it for the stairs. Hinoka and Deen shot off in pursuit of the renegade, but a large fireball spell that Hinoka only barely dodged blasted Deen back into the first hallway. By the time he got back to his feet, Hinoka and the illusion were gone.

Hinoka chased the illusion up to the final chamber just before the Rainbow Sage, where she realized that it was an illusion of Sakura.

"I don't know what you are," Hinoka launched a series of vicious swings towards the little illusion, "but you are making a mockery of my sister and I will not have it! You will not defile these sacred grounds while I draw breath!"

"That's not right at all!" the illusion replied, "I'm Sakura… and you're in my way!"

The fight between Hinoka and this illusion of Sakura was very short-lived. Hinoka froze for a moment as if contemplating that this illusion was actually Sakura and that it was her whose eyes were deceiving her, but during this time, she took the full-blast of Cymbeline and was knocked aside. As her vision grew hazy, she saw the Sakura illusion open the door to the final chamber, but her view went black before she could see what happened next.

She awake an unknown amount of time later, her wounds fully healed, and her vision sharp as ever. She got up and wandered down the hallway towards the sound of noise, wondering where her friends were. Were Azama and Setsuna okay? What had happened to sweet little Midori? How were Sonya and Deen doing? Were Nyx and Shura still around?

All of these questions were answered when she noticed all of them, as well as much of Corrin's army, in a room surrounding the old Rainbow Sage. At the center of the room directly in front of him, sat little Sakura. Most people turned as Hinoka entered the room, however.

"Ah, Lady Hinoka Ikarayu," the sage smiled invitingly, "Come, have a seat. There is much that we need to discuss."

Hinoka took a seat near Sakura, and while no one spoke in that moment, the friendly smiles around her were a nice assurance that she was joining the right side, and now fighting for the right cause.


	85. Chapter 85: The Rainbow Sage

**AUTHOR'S NOTES:** _And thus we conclude Act 4 at long last. The next act is not as long, although we do have a few pit stops in between. There's a lot to cover, and it doesn't all get touched on in this chapter. On the other hand, we get a reveal about who Midori's parents (well, mother) are, and we get to learn the true and final fates of Ryoma and Camilla. We also see a list of who all has completed the Dragons' Trials, and I can say right now that every name on that list is important in some way or another. No spoilers though; here's the chapter, complete with an apology for the delay.  
Happy Reading!_

 **CHAPTER 85: The Rainbow Sage**

 _Sing with me a song of Closure and Boons…_

Hinoka noticed that much of Corrin's army was present, although it was clear that a few people were missing from the room.

"Corrin…" she began, "Is… is everyone alright? My friends and I didn't… you know… kill anyone during that fight, did we?"

"A few of us are a bit dazed or injured, but no deaths," Corrin smiled, "No worries."

"And more importantly," the sage spoke up, "We have a new name to add to the list of those who have completed these trials."

"Oh?" Corrin was not sure who the sage spoke of. Was his entire army going to be added to the list? Or was it going to just be him as the leader—or perhaps Kamui as the strongest member of their army? "If I may ask… who all has completed these trials? How is that determined?"

"I have my ways," the sage put his hands together, "in the last half-century or so, however, only a select few people have managed to pass these trials. Sumeragi Ikarayu… Gunter Rosenfeld… Garon Kumenacht… Mikoto Vaskadr… Camilla Kumenacht… Rinkah Nayeli II… Fuga Masahiro… Xander Kumenacht… Ione Alexius… and Sakura Ikarayu."

Everyone in the room seemed more shocked at hearing Sakura's name than the fact that apparently Rinkah had been here and completed these trials sometime in her 16-year life. The only one that didn't appear shocked was Sakura, who had clearly heard it beforehand. She buried her face in her hands from realizing that all eyes were now on her for this moment. Of the names on that list, however, there was only one that no one to recognize.

"Who was Ione?" Corrin was the first one to pop the question. Incidentally, rather than the sage answering, the respondent was Gunter.

"Ione Alexius was the elder sister of Iago Alexius, King Garon's tactician." He explained, "She was also the concubine from which Princess Camilla was born."

Everyone apart from Gunter, Jakob, and Shura seemed shocked at the news. This was not too surprising since most of them were Hoshidans, but even Felicia, Kamui, and Camilla's old retainers looked a little shocked by this revelation.

"What happened to her?" Kamui piped up.

"It is recorded that an illness claimed her life shortly after the princess' 14th birthday." Gunter explained, "Although there are deeper rumours that she was exposed for a treasonous plot against the King and was executed. It is not my place to be sticking my nose into royal affairs, and so whatever the reason, it suffices me to say that she is dead."

"Treason… schemes…" Kamui mumbled under her breath. There was a legitimate connection with Iago here too. Ione was his sister, and if she was exposed for a plot against Garon, did that mean Iago framed her? Was that sleazy coward the one pulling all of these strings? Kamui didn't think he had it in him, but perhaps wasn't giving the half-masked lunatic enough credit. On the other hand, there was no evidence that Ione had planned any conspiracy against the king, let alone that Iago framed her for it, and asking either of them for the truth would be a lesson in futility. It made her wish Camilla was still alive. Surely she had to know things about her mother and uncle that she had not shared.

"Ione had her secrets, just as any do," The Rainbow Sage was the one that snapped everyone back to the present, "But I believe I owe this little one a boon." he turned to Sakura, "What is it you wish of the Rainbow Sage, child?"

Thoughts flowed through Sakura's head, but she knew what had to be done.

"We-we're looking for a dragon," she began, "And, um… we were told that coming here would help us meet one? We need to stop all the fighting between Hoshido and Nohr!"

"Oho…" the sage stroked his beard, "So you wish to end the war, hmm? Well then. Do as your brother and his sister for their blades." He motioned towards Corrin and Kamui, who had the Dawn and Dusk Yato at their sides, respectively.

"These?" Kamui brandished the blade, "All yours, boss." She tossed it with remarkable nonchalance, but what surprised her was the deft way the sage caught it.

"I… apologize for my sister's callousness," Corrin handed his blade directly to the sage.

"No need," the old man smiled, taking the blade, "You are the day: order, stability, light, peace, wisdom. She is the night: chaos, mystery, darkness, passion, strength, freedom. You are two different but complementary parts of one whole. I can see why the sacred blades chose the both of you."

The sage paused, and rose to his feet with one Yato in each hand. "I, who forged the sacred blades… I who committed the Great Sin… I, who wove the divine colors… I call upon you now, Seal of Flames!"

A great flash lit the room, and suddenly everything was dark for a moment. Whether it was everyone's eyes playing tricks on them from reeling due to the sudden flash, or if it had actually grown dark. Before they had much time to guess, the room returned to normal, and the blades in the sage's hands looked different: one glowed blue, and the other more of an indigo color.

"For you, Corrin Ikarayu," he handed the shimmering blue blade to Corrin, "the Noble Alpha Yato. And for you, Kamui Kumenacht…" he handed the indigo blade to Kamui, "the Grim Alpha Yato. These blades should be… a little stronger now…"

"Thank you," Corrin smiled, not realizing that the sage's pause had also been accompanied by a slight lurch in his posture, "is this the seal of flames that Fuga mentioned?"

"It is part of it," the sage replied, "but not all. To complete it, you will need the four divine weapons. Once you have them, the Seal of Flames will become the Fire Emblem…"

"The Fire Emblem…" Arozza spoke softly, as if ruminating, "no matter its form… it is always the key to victory."

"Precisely, young one," the sage smiled, "without that, your quest will inevitably come crashing down, but do not lose heart. Continue down the path that you have chosen, and it should lead you to each of the weapons in turn—including the one that might seem out of your reach."

"Ryoma…" Sakura muttered under her breath.

"Wait," Hinoka had not been there when it happened, "what happened to Ryoma?"

"Oh… you… right," Kamui stammered, "you wouldn't have known."

Kamui explained the situation, and what had happened to Ryoma, with how he and Camilla had disappeared beneath the waves at Cyrkensia. Hinoka, as well as most of the rest of the room, were rather somber again. That would be a wound that would take a long time to heal.

They were disrupted, however, when a half-dressed Rinkah sporting a large collection of bandages wrapped around her right shoulder and chest stumped into the room. The Rainbow Sage looked up at seeing her.

"Rinkah Nayeli… the younger," he looked to her, "I am pleased that you are in working condition. Have you come for your boon, at long last?"

"As a matter of fact, I have." Rinkah nodded, "Anything you can tell me about the Alcohol Sages, including their location, will suffice."

"I cannot pinpoint them for you, child," the sage explained, "but I can tell you this: you will find them in the depths of Hoshido, in a place you would not expect. Continue doing what you do, and you will stumble across them inevitably. That much is certain."

Shortly after these words, the sage began to cough, falling back to his knees.

"Sage!" Corrin exclaimed, "Are you alright?" he spun around, "something's wrong!"

"Don't… waste your energy…" he wheezed, "my time is past and gone, and I have lived well beyond that era…"

"What are you saying?" Corrin had his suspicions, but unlike Kamui he was not rash enough to make assumptions too swiftly.

"I am saying that I am the dragon that you have been searching for," the Rainbow Sage began, "Long, long ago, there were twelve dragons that were filled with different desires and a drive to control the world. For my part, I created the Yato and the divine weapons. Doing so pulled humanity into a great war, and I was not able to die… until I had atoned for that sin…"

"But that was so long ago," Kamui argued, "surely there are better ways to atone than to die."

"I've gotta agree with her on this one," Shura piped up, "There are far better ways to atone for crimes than to let yourself keel over."

"I have been in this world far too long," the Rainbow Sage sighed as he laid down and closed his eyes, "You have the power of the Yato, Dawn and Dusk Dragons… use it well… and it will guide you… to the other divine weapons. The one you perceive to be out of your reach… is much closer than you think…"

With this, the Sage closed his eyes, and passed silently. A moment later, his remains dissolved into a fine dust which blew away on a breeze. The Rainbow Sage was gone.

"I suppose we should get moving," Corrin rose to his feet, "let's rest here for the evening and recuperate, and then we can decide our course of action, as well as help determine what these newcomers are going to do."

"We're obviously coming with you," Hinoka gestured, towards Azama and Setsuna, and then to Midori, "and so is this youngster."

"And who is she?" Corrin raised his eyebrow.

"My name's Midori!" she smiled, "and I… well, I guess I gotta explain where I came from and stuff, don't I?"

"I don't want to put you on the spot, but that would be nice." Corrin gave her a gentle smile, "I trust you completely, and hardly believe you have ill intent; I just wish to know of your origins."

"Well…" she looked down at the ground, her hood still concealing most of her face and hair, "I'm not alone. I have about 20 or 21 other friends that are out in the world somewhere… and, umm… basically…" she tapped her toes against the floor, since her claim was an extremely bold one.

"We're your children… from a time and a world where this war ravaged Ferevs."

"Whose children, exactly," This had caught the attention of literally everyone in the room. "I mean, there are dozens of us…"

"Well…" she looked up, and Corrin recognized her eyes from somewhere, but he was trying to figure out where. "My father is a ninja named Kaze. My mother…" she paused, and during her fidgeting, small swirls of ice appeared around her hands. She put her hands together and the ice dissipated, and she removed her hood. Upon seeing her soft-pink hair, Corrin recognized where he recognized those sky-blue eyes from.

Felicia.

However, before the little family reunion could take place, there was a rumbling from the fountain in the corner. Everyone turned to see the source of the noise, and suddenly a dark-red gloved hand burst from the water. Moments later, its partner appeared, and the soaking wet form of Ryoma crawled from the fountain, much to everyone's surprise. Not more than a few seconds after he appeared, Camilla emerged from the water as well, right on his tail. Both of them coughed and sputtered, and then shook their heads vigorously like dogs, flinging droplets of water everywhere as they looked up.

"Well isn't this a sight…" Camilla licked her lips as she laid eyes on most of Corrin's army, as she and Ryoma staggered to their feet.

"Ryoma!?" Kamui gawked, "Camilla!? You're alive!"

"For the moment…" Ryoma heaved a massive sigh. "It has been quite the ordeal…"

"This I have to hear," Selena quipped, "Lady Camilla, where have you been? We all thought you died back in Cyrkensia!"

"Everyone gather 'round then," Camilla took a deep breath, "it's story time, and let me tell you—you would not BELIEVE where we've been…"

* * *

 **AFTERTHOUGHTS:** _Obviously we're going to get some closure between Kaze and Felicia after Ryoma and Camilla finish recounting their tale, so no worries there. Similarly, we'll get Nyx and Shura to officially join Corrin's army, as well as learn what Sonya and Deen decide to do. In the meantime, only Midori and Hinoka's crew have "officially" joined the team at this point._

* * *

 **CHARACTERS RECRUITED:**

 **Hinoka:** _The eldest princess of Hoshido, and someone who literally takes the defense of her kingdom into her own hands, which occasionally gets her into trouble. She is a powerful warrior and a skilled flier, wielding the legendary Wishblade lance to great effect. She holds strong, powerful bonds with each of her family members, and is always devastated when misfortune befalls them. The best at looking out for others. Born on 18 August (Age 22)  
Classes: Dread Fighter/Falcon Knight_

 **Azama:** _A Hoshidan monk who serves Hinoka, while mercilessly taunting near anyone else he crosses paths with in the meantime. Born at a small shrine, and made pilgrimages to holy mountains in training. He is aloof, acerbic, philosophical, and easy to misunderstand, which has earned him a great deal of rivals or even enemies. In reality, these actions are more to sate his curiosity rather than provoke others. Cries less than anyone in the army. Born on 8 September (Age 27)  
Class: Great Master_

 **Setsuna:** _A Hoshidan archer and retainer to Hinoka. She is known to be a little dreamy and inattentive to her surroundings, with a particular tendency to fall into traps. While she knows how to escape most of them, she often waits for help instead. Despite this, she has an uncanny ability to perform exceedingly well when she seems the most distracted, and is either uncannily skilled or unnaturally lucky at strategy games. The most flexible and limber. Born on 20 May (Age 20)  
Class: Sniper_

 **Midori:** _Felicia and Kaze's daughter. Bright, enthusiastic, adorable, and well mannered, she enjoys inventing and brewing medicines in her free time. Coupled with her polite and down-to-earth personality, she is extremely amiable and good-intentioned like her mother, and is always more than happy to help anyone out who stands in need, to the best of her ability. She also inherited her mother's ice powers. Has the sharpest sense of taste. Born on 17 May (Age 12)  
Class: Merchant_


	86. Chapter 86: Flickering Illusions

**AUTHOR'S NOTES:** _and now we finally get to kick off Act 5, after a long wait. There's sort of a rough transition here as we jump straight from Ryoma and Camilla arriving in the Sevenfold Sanctuary right back to when they first plunged to their doom in Cyrkensia. Basically, to follow their story, this chapter would come directly after Chapter 76 where they vanished. Also, much like Marzichel, the names Kuro and Tiamo reflect actual characters, using aliases. It's complicated business, this time-travel stuff. Maybe someday it'll make sense, but spoilers aren't my thing. Either way, I've rambled enough for now.  
Happy Reading!_

 **ACT V: HARBINGERS OF FATE**

 **CHAPTER 86: Flickering Illusions**

 _Sing with me a song of Echoes and Traps…_

 _Valla, Moments after Ryoma and Camilla disappeared from the waters of Cyrkensia..._

The rush of the water, the echo of the song, the force of two bodies colliding, the vortex of sights, sounds, and sensations. Was this death? Were these the last moments that Ryoma, Prince of Hoshido, and Camilla, Princess of Nohr were to face before their inevitable end?

If death was to claim Ryoma and Camilla, it would not be this day. For while they were dazed, bruised, and unconscious, they were still alive…

 _Some time later…_

Ryoma grunted as he tried to push himself up from whatever ground he had landed on. He was soaked to the bone and his head was still ringing, although vestiges of the song Azura always used to sing back in Hoshido filled his ears as if to calm him down. Whatever the case, his eyes had returned to normal, and miraculously, his mind was his own again. It was a very liberating feeling, and he might have even celebrated if he knew where he was, or where anyone was.

The area around him was a dead, derelict landscape that seemed to defy gravity. Were they in the sky? What were all of these derelict ruins around him from or for?

Other than the grass beneath him and the occasional bush, shrub, or small tree, the place was eerily silent and devoid of life. The only other thing amongst the green and brown was a lavender-haired woman in dark purple and black clothing, lying face down not far from where he was. He crawled over to her, not quite ready to get to his own feet yet, and recognized it as Camilla. A hand to her body proved that she was still warm and still breathing, which meant she was still alive.

She was a looker, there was no denying that. The fact that she was also soaked to the bone, which in turn made her clothes stick to her form was not helping in that regard.

It only took a little light shaking before Camilla stirred, smacking her lips and moaning as she sat up, rubbing her temples. "Sweet merciful Duma, what in oblivion happened…" she murmured as she cleared her eyes. Being greeted by the well-sculpted face of Prince Ryoma (who was a respectful distance away rather than right in her face) certainly helped her view.

"Well, well… this is certainly one way to take a princess out on a date." she cooed.

"I suppose that's one way of looking at it," Ryoma retorted, "I… my memories from before this point are hazy, apart from the realization that I was under someone else's control. I apologize if my actions were not befitting me."

"Well, my last memories were of you trying to charge your blade right through your baby sister," Camilla quipped, and so I knocked you right off the pier. It seems there was a portal or something in that water that took us to this desolate place. Either way, other than being a little dizzy, it seems you did me no harm, and you were certainly not yourself. All is forgiven."

"Thank you," Ryoma nodded somberly, "again I apologize for my uncharacteristic actions. It was very unbecoming of the High Prince of Hoshido, even if my mind was not my own."

"Oh, I was a very naughty girl when that nasty mind trick had me in its grip," Camilla sighed, "but I suppose that is in the past as well. I don't imagine you have any idea where we are either, by chance, do you?"

"This certainly does not look like Hoshido," Ryoma glanced around again, "or Nohr, although I have admittedly seen little of the place. Your guess is as good as mine, princess."

"Oh no, the skies are way too clear around here to be Nohr," Camilla giggled. "Whatever this hellish place is, I don't like it. The serenity is off-putting, and I can almost taste a trap."

"This…" a voice in front of them spoke up, "is Valla. This is the Invisible Demon Kingdom responsible for the war between Hoshido and Nohr."

"Show yourself," Ryoma demanded, his hand reaching for his blade, just in case the subject was hostile. To his surprise, as well as Camilla's, a woman dressed in the garb of a Hoshidan swordmaster stepped out from behind a large stone. She was definitely young, or at least had a youthful face, with long strands of flaming red hair nearly the color of Ryoma's armor, if not brighter. Both Ryoma and Camilla were fixated on the woman's waist; not because of her bare thighs (a Hoshidan custom among female masters of the blade) but because of the twin blades that were at her sides.

"Where did you get that…?" Ryoma glanced at the sword on her left side. It looked exactly like the Raijinto he held in his own hand.

"From the King of Hoshido," the woman replied.

"Who are you then?" Camilla spoke, "and for that matter, where did your other blade come from?" Alondite was on the girl's right side, while Camilla still held her own blade in her hands.

"My name is Tiamo," the girl replied, "and this blade came from the Queen of Hoshido."

Ryoma and Camilla exchanged dumbfounded looks for a moment, as if both realized what this implied, but Ryoma decided to find out for sure.

"And who were these people?" he asked, "the King and Queen of Hoshido?"

"I'm afraid I cannot say," Tiamo replied, "but I can understand your suspicion. To clarify… no, I'm not your long-lost daughter or anything. It's a complicated situation, and I promise I'm on your side, and that I didn't steal these blades. Their owner gave them to me, at least for a time."

"We do need answers though," Camilla ordered. "Are you implying that Prince Ryoma and I become the next king and queen of Hoshido?"

" _Shit!"_ Tiamo swore to herself as she stammered.

"In the timeline I am from… y-yes." she stuttered a little bit. "There are several of us, actually. Most of us remain here, but I'm fairly certain that Princess Camilla here has met my friend Marzichel."

"Oooh, Chel's here as well?" Camilla raised an eyebrow.

"She is," Tiamo replied, "As are over a dozen others, lost in this wandering void of terror and confusion. Only one of us has gotten out."

"But who _*are*_ you?" Camilla asked, "and what are you doing here? Why do you have such a high stake and invested interest in us in particular?"

"You… aren't going to stop grilling me until I explain everything…" Tiamo sighed, "are you?"

"It is not to say we don't trust you," Ryoma clarified, "but we plunge into a frigid sea only to end up in an upside-down demon kingdom face-to-face with a girl who not only knows our names, but carries copies of our sacred blades. You cannot tell me that such an event would make most people curious, if not suspicious."

"That… no, that's a fair point." Tiamo shook her head as she sat down, inviting Ryoma and Camilla to do the same. _"Deep breaths…"_ she told herself, _"stay focused."_ Her eyes shifted from Camilla to Ryoma and back again.

"If… if we told you we were children from a Ferevs where things went very differently, how would you react?"

"Well, it would explain the blades if nothing else," Camilla giggled, "but whose child are you? You look familiar, and yet not like Ryoma or I."

"I… I would rather not explain who our parents are, both for their safety and ours," Tiamo hesitated, "especially because we don't know how far into their relationships they are. Telling you two that you married in the timeline I'm from was awkward enough, and who knows if everyone else in your army would handle that news as well as you did."

"But if you're from a different timeline," Ryoma raised an eyebrow, "then wouldn't the bonds we form in our current one mean nothing to the ones we formed in your world that led to your birth and the births of your friends?"

"It…" Tiamo scratched the back of her head, "it might? If your existence was at stake though, would you want to give that a try?"

"Ha!" Camilla laughed loudly, "Fair point, sweetie. And I'm going to call you that regardless, because by the gods you are simply adorable!"

" _I'm gonna wring Kuro's neck for this,"_ Tiamo mused in her mind, before speaking up. "R-right… so I imagine the two of you are more interested in getting out of here than trying to learn everything about a doomed future, correct?"

"To an extent," Ryoma admitted, "I will not lie and say that the affairs of our world are not urgent for us to return to, but I understand that we cannot simply jump into another river and hope we get home."

"Not unless you can reach that hole in the sky," Tiamo pointed behind them, "I'd offer to fly you up there on my pegasus, but the skies here are filled with foul magic. I don't think anyone's getting back up there anytime soon."

Camilla and Ryoma turned to see a hazy blue hole in the sky, and could almost faintly make out the images of docks and fighting above them, as if looking up from being underwater.

"A right shame, really," Camilla hummed, "Here I was about to say that this problem could have been solved if I brought Marzia back, but I suppose that's out of the question now."

"So if the way back is closed," Ryoma turned back to Tiamo, "Is there no way out? You speak as if you are trapped, and that does not bode well for us."

"In a way we are;" Tiamo admitted, gazing off into the distance, "We know the way out of here, but there are some of us who are still out of our reach, or that are lost. We're not leaving anyone behind, and we're holding off the threat that's emanating from this horrible place. It's… a complicated situation."

"On the other hand," she cocked her head back to Ryoma and Camilla, "We can get you out of here. The journey won't be an easy one, but I trust that the two of you are more than competent enough to face whatever Valla tries to throw at you."

"What's Valla going to throw at us, darling?" Camilla raised her eyebrow, "you sound like you know this whole layout like the back of your pretty little hand."

"I… don't, actually," Tiamo stammered, "you were lucky enough to come by during the day. Things change around here at night, and the soulless warriors that invade your land tend to crop up more often than not in the evening. But… you will have to trust me."

"It seems we have little choice in the matter, Tiamo." Ryoma offered his hand in a sign of solidarity, "Lead on."

Neither Camilla nor Ryoma ever expected to wind up in the ruins of a twisted, forsaken kingdom, let alone guided by a girl who had replicas of Alondite and Raijinto at her sides; and yet here they were. The next chapter of their journey had begun.


	87. Chapter 87: Revelations in a Broken Land

**AUTHOR'S NOTES:** _I've been in kind of a funk ever since being unemployed, but I'm trying my best to continue writing this. I have plenty of ideas; just in a brief slump at the moment. Regardless, I'm not going to half-ass the story or try to force it, so in the meantime, we get a chapter full of (pardon the pun)... Revelations. We get to meet Chel again, and also learn how/why Ryoma and Camilla were transported to Valla instead of just continuing their scuffle below the water. Valla is a dangerous place, and nowhere in the Invisible Demon Kingdom is safe as long as you're in its borders.  
Happy Reading!_

 **CHAPTER 87: Revelations in a Broken Land**

 _Sing with me a song of Lineage and Fear…_

The journey through Valla started out rather eventless, but as Camilla and Ryoma mused about this, they realized it was much better than the alternative. All around them were ruined buildings, desolate fields, and scattered, shattered landmasses that looked like they had been torn right out of the ground. Weirder still was that everything appeared to be in the sky, and that some of these islands appeared to be sideways or even upside-down. Whether or not this was always how Valla was remained a mystery, although Camilla was fairly certain that this was not a normal place. Perhaps in the distant past it might have been, but certainly not anymore.

"I would speak more," Tiamo pointed out as they moved, "but we're in very dangerous territory. This trap was placed especially for at least one of you, and it was a mixture of luck and educated guesses that we knew to wait here."

"Trap?" Ryoma tilted his head, "is this what this is?"

"It's what the portal in the waters below Cyrkensia was, yes," Tiamo explained, "You were the intended target, Prince Ryoma, although based on other things we know, we believe you were intended to be the victim here."

"I was a victim," Ryoma shut his eyes, "My mind was not my own."

"Aye, but the trap was intended for Princess Kamui. Tell me. How many times does she say she would throw herself in front of anyone?"

"She says that all the time…" Camilla mused, "although that does not explain how dear Ryoma here would be a victim. He is far from helpless, and could likely even take on me."

"That's… frankly why we were relieved when you were the one to block him instead of Kamui," Tiamo sighed, "As powerful as Kamui is… her mind is fragile… and we believe she would have turned on Ryoma the first chance she got."

There was silence for a moment before Tiamo cleared her throat, "Anyways, we're not too far from someone who can explain this better than I can. Let's get moving."

Ryoma and Camilla exchanged looks and then glanced behind them as if expecting a way to open up back where they first appeared, but the upside-down world around them did not yield.

It was only a few minutes later that Tiamo halted the group and whistled a very particular tune. It sounded familiar, but neither Ryoma nor Camilla could put a finger on it, as if they had heard it before but could not recall where.

Out of one of the ruined buildings sprang an archer with long blue hair and shimmering green eyes. Camilla recognized her face immediately.

"Chel!" She held out her arms, but almost as if Marzichel knew exactly what was going to happen, she hesitated and took a few steps back. "Come give Momma Camilla a hug!"

Poor Chel never stood a chance, getting pulled into a tight embrace and effectively getting her face smothered in Camilla's chest. After pulling back, she tried to compose herself, with marginal success.

"So…" she brushed herself off, "uhh, now that that's out of the way… I assume both of you have all kinds of questions."

"Goodness, darling, where do we begin?" Camilla cooed. "Tiamo here spoke about a trap and said you would know more. Who set this trap, what did they want with Ryoma, and is it true that my darling Kamui was the intended target?"

"From what we understand, yes," Chel explained, "the orchestrator of this trap was the same Exalted One that destroyed our world, and that exploited the madness of the Silent Dragon to destroy the Valla of this world. She and her agents are now hunting us, and they're trying to use us to get to you."

"Who is this 'us' the two of you keep speaking of?" Ryoma asked, "I understand wanting to keep the names and identities of some people a secret for their safety, but I feel like I've just been initiated into some sort of organization and as High Prince of hoshido, I would like to know who I am associating with here."

"While a Princess of Nohr might associate with the shadier figures in life from time to time," Camilla added, "I stand with Prince Ryoma on this one. I would like to know who this 'we' is, and what they're trying to do."

"We're trying to join you," Chel explained right away, "but leaving here isn't exactly easy, and we're not about to leave our friends behind. There are about 27 of us altogether. A few are already on Ferevs, and we recently managed to get one of them out of here and into a place called the Sevenfold Sanctuary. I don't think the rest of this trip is going to go too smoothly."

"Why do you say that?" Camilla raised her eyebrow.

"Because the Exalted One has to know you're here by now," Chel began, "and she's going to inevitably start hunting for you. I imagine that finding you here instead of Kamui was like closing one door and opening another. She has great interest in you."

"I could only imagine why…" Camilla rolled her eyes, more at the notion of what the Exalted One was doing rather than doubting Marzichel's story.

"Can you tell us more about Valla?" Ryoma asked, "I have never heard of the place before."

"Valla used to be a kingdom not much different from Hoshido or Nohr, if what my parents used to tell me about it are correct," Marzichel explained, "while Hoshido revered the Dawn Dragon and Nohr revered the Dusk Dragon, Valla revered the Silent Dragon Anankos.

"Anankos…" Camilla hummed, "Father worshipped him, oddly enough. But that begs another question, regardless of why he would choose the Silent Dragon over the Dusk Dragon. On many different occasions, Garon referred to sweet little Kamui as the Dusk Dragon Incarnate. Do you have any clue what that means?"

"Sadly, it doesn't mean they're gods, otherwise, that could very well be all we'd need to put an end to the Exalted One." Marzichel led the others to a nearby ruin where they took shelter from the elements around them, "It just means that they are avatars of the Divine Dragons, which is also why they have the ability transform into dragons."

"But apart from their colorings…" Ryoma put a finger to his chinguard, "they both appear mostly the same. They *are* twins, aren't they?"

"Of course," Chel replied, "but… they aren't Hoshidan. Their father… is Anankos."

"THE Anankos!?" Camilla sputtered. She would have definitely sprayed her drink all over Marzichel's face if she had been drinking anything at the moment, "The Silent Dragon?"

"That's the one." Marzichel responded, "As you probably figured… I am a Vallite by blood; fully so, even. Anankos has been gradually losing his mind, as all dragons do, but he was able to control himself and confine the secret to himself and King Cadros IV of Valla. It was only after the Exalted One showed up that things started to go haywire. She deceived Anankos; convinced him somehow that if he split his soul, that he could be saved. It was a boon and a bane."

Camilla and Ryoma clung to every word of what this girl in front of them was saying.

"On one hand," Chel continued, "it produced the kind and humane form of Anankos that married Mikoto and helped give birth to Corrin and Kamui. On the other hand, what was left was a raging dragon that destroyed everything it could reach—including King Cadros, and eventually, even his 'good' half. That dragon would have continued its mindless rampage into Hoshido and then Nohr, but someone started to use it. This same Exalt, who had helped orchestrate Anankos' split, is believed to be the one behind Anankos' decisive and manipulative schemes. That is how King Garon was manipulated. That is how the Curse of the Royal Bloodlines was thrown upon you and your kin on the Hoshidan Plains that day after Queen Mikoto's death. Anankos' power is the cause of all of this."

"So Anankos is the one that is causing Hoshido and Nohr to fight one another?" Ryoma exclaimed, "or rather, this Exalted One is causing Ananikos to do this?"

"I have no proof of that, but think about it. When a dragon rages, it does not think about what it's doing. It simply rampages. Its power is unrivalled, and he is essentially a god. But think about it—would a rampaging dragon really try to single out the royalty of Ferevs and not only preserve them, but try and use them to further his cause? No. Someone is guiding Anankos' power, using him to do their bidding. Anankos is the wyvern, and the Exalted One—or whoever it turns out to be harnessing his power—is the rider calling the shots. It has to be."

"And I suppose that this is part of the curse that my dear sister spoke of, isn't it?" Camilla sighed, putting a hand to her chest.

"Aye," Marzichel warned, "so please, as much as you might like to tell everyone about this once you return home, you cannot. You cannot even say anything about Corrin and Kamui's lineage to them. We need you alive."

"It seems the Exalted One wanted no loopholes," Ryoma mused aloud, "she is ruthless, but we cannot let her retain control. If she is the source of all of this conflict, then for the sake of Hoshido; nay, for the sake of Ferevs, I will do everything in my power to stop her."

"Likewise," Camilla riposted, "I've dealt with far too many evil women in my life; ones that tore at me and my family apart every chance they get. I will not hesitate to draw out this wicked bitch's death as long as I can."

"You… sound like you know her or something." Tiamo gave her a skeptical look while Ryoma and Marzichel exchanged blank expressions.

"I…" Camilla's breath was suddenly heavy, "perhaps I am just thinking too much of my mother—a cold, manipulative old hag that used and abused me for her own gain. This Exalt sounds far too much like her for comfort, and it… makes me very uneasy."

"You don't suppose they're one in the same, do you?" Tiamo raised a point, "I mean, don't take that the wrong way or anything, please… it's just a stab in the dark."

"Tiamo, sweetie, you can speak as much ill about my mother as you wish." Camilla reassured her, "if they are the same, then that's just all the more reason for me to hate my mother. If they aren't, then perhaps I should ask this Exalted One if she ever met a witch by the name of Ione Alexius that gave her ideas on how to conquer the world."

"I'm sorry for bringing up old wounds," Tiamo sighed, "You're clearly uncomfortable."

"Don't mind me, child," Camilla sighed, "I will get over it. There was no way you could have known, since I don't exactly go around telling people how wicked of a person my mother is."

"Well, that's a-" Marzichel began before freezing.

"Draw your weapons and get down," she whispered, "find a vantage point. They're surrounding us as we speak, and someone's coming right for us."

The dead silence that fell over their ruined-building-camp not only made it clear that there was something or someone racing towards the house, but also that there were a great many footsteps from behind them and from around the house. They were surrounded indeed.


	88. Chapter 88: High Prince & Dark Princess

**AUTHOR'S NOTES:** _Apologies for the absence; I was on vacation for the last two weeks and had internet with a quality that might make dial-up look good. That said, I'm back and this story is too, which means it goes on. We continue with the Ryoma/Camilla arc, and meet another face that more or less confirms a pairing or two. Then again, different things happen in different timelines, and I'm exactly the type that throws in surprises when I can. Either way, here's a lot of interesting and intellectual discussion between Ryoma and Camilla as they take in Valla for the first time.  
Happy Reading!_

 **CHAPTER 88: High Prince and Dark Princess**

 _Sing with me a song of Stories and Nights…_

Immediately after Chel had warned the two of them to draw their weapons, Ryoma and Camilla had both done exactly that, ready to strike at whatever or whoever was out there. However, to their slight surprise and to Camilla's great surprise, something flipped through the air and over her sword, slamming right into her face and bowling her over. When she recovered from the shock, she found herself unintentionally pinned by a strapping young man with hair the same color as her own. His frenzied face suddenly changed from fear into surprise, and before either Chel or Tiamo could stop him, he blurted out the truth.

"Mother!?" He glanced up, and the horrified and then scathing looks he received from his comrades proved that he had let slip what had clearly been supposed to be kept secret.

"Do I know you, darling?"

"I uhh… said too much," the man scratched the back of his head as he climbed off of Camilla, "in the meantime, call me Kuro and get ready to defend this holding!"

He had hardly spoken this before the onslaught of invisible soldiers began. Kuro was a talented spear fighter, with a ferocity similar to that of Oboro and Camilla. One very particular detail that stood out to Ryoma, however, was that the spear he wielded looked exactly like Hinoka's Wishblade, much like how Tiamo carried copies of Raijinto and Alondite. They would definitely have questions for this lively fellow if or when they made it out of their current situation alive.

Fortunately, it seemed that none of the legions of invisible soldiers were any match for four men and women wielding legendary weapons, as well as a Vallite woman who seemed very familiar with the ins and outs of this hellish nation. As such, they managed to leave a pile of invisible corpses outside of their shelter and silence reigned once again.

"So, Kuro…" Camilla wasted no time approaching the young man, "I'm curious about something. I wouldn't name a child of mine Kuro, and so I have to ask… who are you?"

"Well…" Kuro scratched the back of his head again, "it's not my real name, any more than Chel or Tiamo. I'd explain it, but it's a big mess. I'm the reason that Tiamo wields your blades though. She's a close friend of mine—one that I'd trust with my life."

"So if you're my son," Ryoma spoke up, "that is how you obtained my blade? If so, why did you simply pawn off an heirloom that has been in our family for generations to this girl? And how come you are wielding my sister's spear?"

Kuro and Tiamo exchanged looks, and Tiamo sighed.

"So… we're related; she and I." he explained, "I'm kind of surprised you didn't realize it earlier, pops. Tiamo's always been more keen with the sword and I've always had a liking for the spear, so now and again we swap weapons. If it really makes you that uncomfortable though, we can switch back."

"So this sweet little thing is Hinoka's offspring?" Camilla pinched Tiamo's cheek, much to her annoyance, "oh but you ARE a cute thing… who is the father?"

"You two are very inquisitive," Tiamo sighed.

"Can you blame us?" Ryoma reasoned, "if young men and women emerged from a gods-forsaken kingdom with replicas of your heirloom weapons and claimed they were your offspring from a future era, would you believe them at the drop of a hat?"

"No, fair point," Kuro shrugged, "Thanks again for that, by the way."

"Look, we're not trying to hide things from you, and definitely not trying to be mean or rude," Tiamo tried explaining, "but it's also a bit precarious on our part; what if we say something that changes fate, and our parents don't marry? Where does that leave us?"

"We will take your word for now," Ryoma nodded, "you have led us well thus far; all I can ask is that you continue that way."

"I want to know if this darling child has any siblings…" Camilla licked her lips, glancing between Tiamo and Kuro as if deliberately not saying who she directed it at."

"Well," Tiamo looked flustered, "I am the eldest of 5… Kuro here is the 3rd of 12."

"Ah, that's definitely my son then!" Camilla laughed loudly, "Anything less than 8 is an empty house. I like you even more now."

"I must ask then, Kuro," Ryoma seemed to take his newfound position as a father very seriously, "if you are not the eldest, then how did you fall into possession of my blade. Are your elder siblings… gone, where you came from?"

"They might be around, actually," Kuro shrugged, "I'm your eldest son though. My two older siblings are both sisters, and according to Hoshidan tradition, the birthright goes to the eldest son, rather than the eldest child."

"Right," Ryoma shook her head, "I feel foolish for overlooking the notion that I could birth a daughter before a son."

"Nohr suddenly seems more progressive," Camilla teased him, "our crown goes to the eldest regardless of gender. But this little cutie mentioned something about a king and queen of Hoshido, so I suppose I know my fate."

"This is still rather big news," Ryoma looked much more flustered than Camilla, who seemed to be reveling in the moment, "Princess Camilla is a fine young woman who is both intellectual and powerful… but I feel she deserves a more proper proposal, both for her sake and my own." "Darling, if you are going to ask my hand in marriage, I've been waiting for that question for months now. Honestly, I may have tried to court you gback in Hoshido had our dear Lady Mikoto not suffered the tragic fate she did… but if you plan on courting me… just know that my answer to the inevitable marriage question is still going to be yes."

"I don't want to be that person," Chel spoke up, "but we should probably rest before we move out tomorrow. The road only gets more treacherous from here."

"I'll keep watch then," Camilla volunteered, "I'd rather not get set upon by those invisible demons again, and so you all can rest for now."

"I will stay vigilant with her," Ryoma offered, "It might help us also plan our course of action more appropriately for the future."

"Alright then," Tiamo shrugged, "Just wake one of us up when you two grow tired. We'll be happy to share some of the responsibility so you two can rest."

Although it seemed both Ryoma and Camilla were restless from all the revelations they had received that day. Tiamo, Chel, and Kuro fell asleep fairly quickly, but Ryoma and Camilla spoke both to pass the time and discuss their relationship.

"So did you mean what you said about the… proposal?" Ryoma turned to her.

"Darling, I wouldn't lie about something like that." Camilla licked her lips, "Don't get me wrong; I thought you were cute the first time I laid my eye on you, but as I mingled with you I met a man who was regal and upstanding not unlike my own big brother… except not as distant. If there's one thing about Xander that annoys me, it's that he distances himself from the rest of us, perhaps a bit too much. You manage to keep your reputation as High Prince up just fine, but also manage to stay close to your younger siblings."

"Especially in the light of our mother's death," Ryoma explained, "I felt it was my duty to be there for them as their rock and their role model. That also included interacting with them on a regular basis so I could learn of their fears and problems; and learn how I as their brother could help them overcome these trials."

Family is probably—no, undoubtedly—the most important thing in my life, Ryoma dear." Camilla explained, "and your explanation just now sounds exactly like the kind of traits a good father would have. If you're trying to win my affection, that will do it. A man who is not a good father is an instant deal-breaker for me."

"I seek to walk in my father's footsteps," Ryoma gazed up at the deep violet sky, "He was a strong and honourable man, and yet still managed to find time to love and care for his family. I seek to do the same with my own life, be it with my siblings or with my children one day."

"Mmm…" Camilla licked her lips, "I might have to remove my pants at this rate. Haha, I digress—but tell me. I told you what I see as the most important trait for a man to have… what, to you, is the most important thing in a woman?"

"Support," Ryoma replied after a few moments of silence, "Not necessarily agreeing with everything I say, but more to serve as a voice of reason for those inevitable times when my stubbornness or refusal to quit might get the best of me."

"Come now," Camilla giggled, "we have our differences, but you make plenty of good and wise decisions. And when you do, I would happily stand at your side to support you through them. Besides… if we marry, then I can adopt your siblings for reals. I mean, if we ever get out of here, I'm adopting them anyways, because I bet they miss their mother."

"That… is not how adoption works, Camilla."

"I'm not going to actually *become* their mother, silly. I'm just going to cradle them under my wings and love them like I would any of my other baby siblings."

"Is…" Ryoma changed the tone of the conversation slightly, "is this why you have such an emotional attachment to Kamui?"

Camilla paused for a moment, looking Ryoma in the eyes as if trying to scan him for malicious intent, which she of course did not find.

"My mother was a monster, and both Leo and Elise's mothers were no better. Kamui was taken from her mother at a young age, as we both know… and seeing motherless children breaks my heart. Kamui was in emotional agony for weeks after Mikoto was slain. She was terrified for the first several months in Nohr too. It was… a messy time."

"About that…" This time Ryoma looked inquisitive. "My father, King Sumeragi… you are the last living person to have seen him. What exactly happened on that fateful evening?"

"My father betrayed him." Camilla frowned, "I watched from behind him as he approached Sumeragi, and instead of greeting him… he called for his archers to let fire."

A frown dominated Ryoma's face as he paid attention to every word Camilla spoke.

"As Sumeragi fell to his knees, incapacitated, Garon simply laughed and cut him down. I love my father, but I do not think that man was my father at that point. He is a vestige of his former self, likely kept alive and together by the same kind of foul magic that brought your father back when Mikoto died."

"What makes you so sure?" Ryoma inquired, "I obviously do not wish to slander King Garon's name if you claim that he is no longer himself, but I obviously cannot forgive the atrocities he committed against my father in cold blood."

"Nor would I ask you to," Camilla shook her head, "but shortly before our fathers met, he suddenly took an unusual interest; nay, an obsession, with something he called "The Dusk Dragon Incarnate". As we learned recently, that is Kamui's title, which explains why Garon sought her out..."

"...only to lock her away." Ryoma finished for her.

"I know, the poor dear." Camilla frowned, "I am not sure how much of it you saw, darling, but my dear Kamui is… very unstable. So many years of physical, mental, and emotional abuse have taken their toll on that poor creature. That is why I am so close to her. She needs love in her life that is genuine; she needs affection; she needs tender loving care that she was deprived of for many of the first 20 years of her life."

"Of course," Ryoma nodded understandingly, "I realize she is very different from her brother, and the more I understand about what she went through, the more I can also offer her the love and care a good older brother should give. That is the Hoshidan way."

"Mmm…" Camilla licked her lips. "Whether or not we do decide to get married in this timeline… I can tell already that you and I will have no trouble getting along…"

A lot had happened in the day and a half they had been in Valla; from meeting each other and learning of their futures, to meeting Kuro, Chell, and Tiamo, to the very notion of being in the Invisible Demon Kingdom itself. A long journey lay ahead of Camilla and Ryoma, but after their meetings and discussions of that day, perhaps travelling together to try and escape this horrid place would not be too bad after all…


	89. Chapter 89: Sacrifice and Saint

**AUTHOR'S NOTES:** _Behold, I live! To cut right to the chase, I'll start by saying that this is the last of the "Ryoma & Camilla Saga" for a while. At the end of this chapter, we catch back up to present time, and we'll go from there. In the meantime, we get to see a much nastier side of Valla, for not everyone who was resurrected was brought back intact. It's a twisted, evil place, and Ryoma and Camilla experience this firsthand. As for Kuro, Chel, and Tiamo... we'll see plenty more of them, so no worries.  
Happy Reading!_

 **CHAPTER 89: Sacrifice and Saint**

 _Sing with me a song of Skirmish and Swamp…_

Apart from the occasional light skirmish between the small group and a few invisible stragglers or would-be ambushers, the trek through this part of Valla was particularly eventless. Camilla and Ryoma spent much of their time simply gazing up or around them at the various floating islands, including some that were sideways or upside-down. Below them were more islands as well as a dark void of hazy sky.

Eventually, Ryoma noticed a large castle coming into view in the distance, and with the way shadow and unusual color swirled about it, it was clear that this was a very malevolent place.

Marzichel was the one to notice Ryoma staring, especially after Camilla noticed and had started staring a moment later. She frowned.

"Castle Gyges," she explained, "That is where the Silent Dragon Anankos waits… and where the puppetmaster pulls the strings. The Exalted One surely roams there as well, but as you probably noticed, it's impenetrable."

"So how do we intend to ever get there?" Ryoma tilted his head, "Surely there must be a way in."

"The Guardian Queens," Chel warned, "Even now they roam Ferevs and must be found and destroyed. Only when they are removed will the way to Valla be open."

"And I suppose these 'Guardian Queens' are part of the Exalted One's web of treachery as well?" Camilla frowned. With a sigh and a nod, Chel answered the question.

"Then we need to get back as soon as we can, and get back down to business," Camilla cracked her knuckles, before placing one of her hands on her sword.

"The good news…" Kuro glanced around them, since they had been walking throughout the conversation, "is that the way's right up ahead."

Kuro, Chel, and Tiamo had stopped, and only then did Ryoma and Camilla glance around at where they truly were. It was certainly one of the uglier sides of Valla, with purple and red mires and fiery swamps surrounding them on all sides. To the right was a jagged path that led up into a floating mountain and then off to the north somewhere.

"Are you talking about the craggy mountain pass," Camilla quipped, "or the fiery swamps of despair that will have us smelling like death's embrace for probably eternity?"

"Sheesh," Kuro scratched the back of his head, "when you put it that way…"

"That is the way out," Tiamo was the one to answer properly, "While it is undoubtedly dangerous, it seems that it's one of the few places the Exalted One and her forces either don't know about or simply don't use."

"Well… no mystery as to why that is," Camilla scrunched her nose at the small and sight of the wretched mires in front of them. "Still… how do you know of this?"

"Marzichel knows it," Tiamo cocked her head towards their blue-haired friend.

"I've used it before," she explained, "I assure you it's safe."

"You're saying this like you do not intend to go with us," Ryoma commented.

"We don't," Kuro shook his head, "As much as I'd love to—I mean, I'm seeing my mom and dad here, when they're like my age! It's pretty cool. But hey; we've got friends out there that are missing and lost and we've gotta find 'em."

"And who's to say we can't help you find them then?" Camilla piped up, "if you're truly my son, you should know that family means everything to me, darling."

"I have no doubt," Kuro nodded, "but your brothers and sisters need you just as mine need me. I've got big shoes to fill, mom… dad. But I'm counting on you just as you're counting on me."

Both Camilla and Ryoma were moved by this statement, especially as Camilla felt Kuro's arms go around her. He approached Ryoma similarly, although was not sure if he interacted the same way Camilla would. To his surprise though, Ryoma pulled him into an embrace.

"While I trust your words, Kuro," he commented, "know that regardless of who you are, you're an honourable young man and a gifted leader. Stay safe—we will try to do the same."

Camilla and Ryoma continued their trek through the swamp, occasionally glancing up towards the branching path the others had taken until they were out of sight. Soon, an eerie silence fell over the prince and princess as they trekked through the murky fiery hellscape that was these swamps. There seemed to be a pattern in the swamps, almost like someone had carved out various square pools of the vile liquid, but eventually they came to an impasse where the only way forward was through the purple murk.

"Time to get our feet wet, it seems," Ryoma sighed, glancing around to try and see if there was another way across. However, there didn't seem to any any bridge or vantage point for miles in either direction. Even the jagged path that Kuro, Chel, and Tiamo had taken had long since disappeared by this point.

"It's a good thing I never remove my shoes," Camilla quipped, "because heaven knows they're going to reek a storm once we get out of here."

"Isn't that what you take 16 hour baths for?" Ryoma riposted."

"Who told you about that?" Camilla raised an eyebrow as she trudged through the purple muck.

"I was aware of your dealings when you were in Hoshido, princess," Ryoma smirked, "my sister Hinoka told me you did not leave the bathhouse for nearly a full day."

"Well she's not wrong," Camilla giggled, "but ugh… this just rubs me the wrong way—KYAAA!"

Whether it was a misstep or just a dropoff, Camilla slipped and plunged entirely beneath the swamp, emerging a soaking, festering mess.

"Sweet merciful Mila, this is the worst condition I've ever been in!" she griped, sputtering some of the foul water from her face, "and… is it just me or is something behind us?"

"It seems we've woken the dead," Ryoma warned, turning to face the oncoming hordes. "Prepare to fight."

True to his warning, it seemed that the waters were swimming with half-rotten corpses, many still wearing apparel that was clearly Vallite in origin. Why these were not resurrected the same way the invisible invaders was one question, and a similar question was why they were not invisible either. Such questions would have to wait—for the enemies would not.

Ryoma and Camilla fought back to back, and soon the smell of the swamp was the least of their worries, before the two became flecked in dirt, muck, the guts of the undead hordes, and a bit of their own blood. It was not a pretty sight, but other than a few scratches, they were still mostly unharmed after the first two waves. There was a moment of silence again as Camilla cleaved one of the final stragglers in two, and only then did they look around.

"I… think this was a city once," he pointed out, "these patterns, both in the water and the stones… I think this was once a town square."

"So why weren't these people resurrected and sent off to fight Nohr or Hoshido, one might wonder…" Camilla was about to lick her lips, but she could taste something on her mouth and decided immediately against it.

"Odds are these were simply villagers; people of little to no fighting experience." Ryoma deducted, "there's no reason to fully resurrect them if they can be used as cannon fodder against us… or to slow us down."

"Do you think they know we're here?" Camilla stood back up, wondering if a third wave was going to happen or not.

"Whether or not they do, we need to move!" Ryoma warned, "the island is falling… up?"

Sure enough, the landmass they were on was starting to crumble, but instead of tumbling into the abyss below, it was falling upwards into some other skyward piece of oblivion.

Fortunately, it seemed there was no third wave, but the swamp seemed thicker in front of them than behind which slowed the prince and princess down considerably as they raced for their lives to prevent getting pulled away into whatever awaited them above. The sky looked normal (albeit dark and unwelcoming), and devoid of any hostile entity or portal that could be sucking it away; it seemed that gravity on this landmass had simply been reversed. After several minutes of frantic trudging, however, they saw a hazy blue hole in the sky in front of them and above. More than half the island had fallen away, and their time was running short.

"It's up there!" Camilla exclaimed, "We need to jump!" she approached the edge of the island, realizing there was no clear-cut way to reach the portal by walking. Ryoma was not fully sure if that was the portal out of Valla that Chel had spoken of, but since it was almost identical in appearance to the one they had fallen through, they had to assume it was.

Camilla lined herself up and jumped, but instead of falling upwards with the rest of the landmass behind them, she plunged downward to what would have been her doom, had Ryoma not seized her ankle. Her scream of fright was well-justified, if not loud enough to make Ryoma cringe.

"While I don't mean to be rude," Camilla was clearly unsettled, "Ryoma, please pull me up!"

"I'm trying," he grunted, and the pressure Camilla felt around her right ankle proved his words were not hollow, "we're move though… it's moving up and forcing us down…"

"Then give me some momentum," Camilla shouted, "and we'll swing in when the time is right."

Ryoma and Camilla waited, as the island around them began to crumble. The small slag of rock that he was perched on and that Camilla was dangling from moved upwards, and past the portal. Ryoma realized that Camilla's plan was not going to work, but she did not understand what he was planning or why he had not jumped.

"WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR!?" she screamed as she watched the portal below them start to shrink as they rose above it.

"I'm waiting for a clearer target!" he shouted back, "We've only got one shot!"

"That's great and all but you might have noticed THAT I'M SLIPPING!"

Ryoma had tried to ignore that, but his grip on her ankle, while it tightened, was starting to falter, as if to pull him down with her. Right as he nearly let go of Camilla, he leaned forward and tumbled off the edge, seizing Camilla midair and putting his arms around her.

"Hold on." he told her as he put his back to the portal, his arms still around Camilla as if to protect her from a fall. Ryoma hit the portal a moment later, and it was like hitting water. In fact, both he and Camilla felt as if they were being sucked through a vortex of water, unsure of when it would end or where they would land. The sound of music surrounded them once again, and for a moment, everything went black.

A moment later, Ryoma saw light, and forced himself to swim to the surface, clinging to the edge of whatever ledge lay above the water. He burst out with a gasp for air, and saw dozens of familiar faces, including his retainers and his family. Camilla emerged a second later.

"Well isn't this a sight…" Camilla cooed as she noticed Kamui among the ranks of the little army.

"Ryoma!?" Kamui gawked, "Camilla? You're alive!?"

"For the moment…" Ryoma sighed. "It has been quite the ordeal…"

"This I have to hear," Selena snapped, "Lady Camilla, where have you been? We all thought you died back in Cyrkensia!"

"Everyone gather 'round then," Camilla remarked as she and Ryoma got comfortable, "it's story time, and let me tell you—you would not BELIEVE where we've been…"


	90. Chapter 90: Foreign Friends

**AUTHOR'S NOTES:** _I apologized for the hiatus. April is always a busy month for me so I can't confirm that I'll have a new chapter next week, but I'll do what I can to get another chapter out as soon as is reasonable possible. Anyways, here we get the other four characters that we met in chapter 85 (and Ryoma) to finally join us, as well as me taking a few creative liberties with Sonya and Deen's birthdays. It seems they're here to stay. Anyways, I won't ramble too much. I have a lot to clear up in this and the next few chapters, and we'll be through Act 5 before we know it. Anyways, the big nine-zero.  
Happy Reading!_

 **CHAPTER 90: Foreign Friends**

 _Sing with me a song of Strangers and Peace…_

Camilla recounted the story of their time in Valla, simply mentioning it as "an invisible kingdom". She did not tell Corrin or Kamui about their parentage, and overall her wording was very selective, albeit eloquent, as she recounted the story of their trip through the hellscape that was Valla's ruins, and lastly, mentioned the Harbingers of Fate.

"Oh!" Midori piped up afterwards, "so you met them?"

"We met a few," Ryoma answered, "Kuro, Chel, and Tiamo, to be precise. They are still there, and still searching for their friends."

"Oh good." Midori sighed with relief, "I knew they wouldn't leave anyone behind!"

Kamui couldn't hold herself back any longer, however, and threw herself at Camilla, locking her arms around her and shoving her face rather forcefully into Camilla's bosom, trembling.

"I missed you so much!" she whimpered. "It's one thing for you to be captured and for me to know that we can still save you… but to think that you were dead, and that you had taken Ryoma with you… gods, I wasn't myself. I'm sure you can get a better account from Oboro…"

Camilla looked up and sure enough, her eyes met a familiar pair of purple Hoshidan eyes that seemed fixated on her. It made sense considering that her liege and his sisters were all busy huddling around Ryoma. It wasn't that Oboro did not share the same excitement, but to see her best friend back from the dead was a welcome surprise for her.

"Clearly this was part of why the Sage wanted us to linger…" Corrin mused aloud. "Come, everyone. Let's return home…"

By 'home', he really just meant New Kamui, and while Camilla and Ryoma rested (and cleaned up and changed into warm, dry clothes), he, Takumi, and Sakura gave the grand tour to Midori, Shura, Nyx, Sonya, and Deen. The latter of these two still seemed on the fence about getting involved in this whole operative, but for a keen eye like Corrin's, who by this point had learned their stories, this did not go unnoticed, even after the tour had concluded, and all but Sonya, Deen, and Corrin had gone their separate ways.

"I can understand why you would not want to throw your chips into someone else's ordeal," he explained, "and while we would be honoured for you to join us, I see no need to beg or coerce or extort. If you're with us, we'd love to have you; and if not, then I wish you the best of luck wherever your journeys take you. In the meantime, and regardless of your decisions, however, do feel free to make yourselves at home. New Kamui provides an abundance to us, and it doesn't feel right to turn people away—especially those that have helped us before."

"New Kamui," Sonya chortled, "you let the crazy one name it?"

"She built it, and she was the one who invited me here," Corrin shrugged, "although what makes you suggest she is crazy?" Corrin had plenty of evidence to support this claim, but Sonya and kamui had only met recently.

"I saw enough of her fighting style and mannerisms to know a crazy woman when I see one," Sonya chortled, "Although I hardly meant an offense with that remark."

"It doesn't offend me, and she'd probably take it as a compliment," Corrin laughed, "but I suppose the point still stands. Whether or not you join us and our cause, you are welcome to spend as much time at New Kamui as you desire."

"I dunno," Deen piped up, "the notion of fighting off a madwoman-turned-goddess and her legion of puppets sounds exactly like the type of glorious battle I live for. Whether or not my sassy friend here joins you is her deal, but you can count me in."

"What's this?" Sonya riposted, "Deen taking up a job and not even asking about the payment?"

"Living in a castle like this is the closest thing I'll ever get to living like a king," Deen laughed, "and while I know he might have just said we're welcome to stick around even if we don't join up with him and his buddies, the idea of sitting on my ass while everyone else is fighting gods and dragons doesn't sound near half as appealing."

"Well," Sonya sighed, "Oblivion knows I could use the beauty rest first. Very well, Lord Corrin. You can count me in alongside my thickheaded friend here."

"Speaking of which," Deen patted Sonya on the back, "you still owe me that dance."

"Mila take you," Sonya cursed under her breath, "I had thought you forgot."

"I'm pretty sure the mental image of you under that corset isn't one any self-respecting man would swift forget," Deen bantered as the two headed towards the castle, leaving Corrin alone.

" _So much to do, so little time…"_ he mumbled. He hoped that the others had gotten comfortable and accommodated. Fortunately for him, this seemed to be the case, for he heard quite the jovial racket coming from The Drunken Princess a few minutes later, where he was certain his sister had gone. Sure enough, he found her in there surrounded by an audience that included Shura and Hinoka, who were among nearly a dozen others that were watching Zenzi and Kamui drinking again.

"Roku," Corrin spotted his other retainer among the onlooking crowd, "what's going on here?"

"A drinking contest, Lord Corrin," he responded, "Lady Kamui's idea. She said she wanted a rematch against Zenzi for beating her the other day, and so here they are. Forgive us if it is unbecoming behaviour, and I will be sure to let Zenzi know when she is next sober."

"No, it's… quite alright," he watched with a similar level of awe as Zenzi put away glass after glass of whatever liquid Jakob was pouring them. "I just never would have guessed that Zenzi had it in her before a few days ago."

"Zenzi has never been one to announce things from the rooftops any more than I," Roku commented. "I do think she injured your sister's pride, however."

"I've told you a dozen times already, Jakob," Kamui slammed her empty tankard on the counter, "I ain't done. Fill 'er up!"

"Milady," Jakob's tone was stern without him losing his cool, "you explicitly warned me to cut you off once you started turning red in the face."

"Yeah well she's outdrinking me at my own game!" Kamui barked, glaring daggers at Zenzi who either didn't notice or chose to ignore it. No one seemed to think that these hostilities would be permanent, for not even Jakob or Roku batted an eye at Kamui's aggression. "Another!"

"When you come bitching to me about the worst hangover since the departure of Lady Camilla," Jakob sighed, rolling his eyes, "I'm going to simply say I told you so. As you wish, milady."

Realizing there was nothing he could really do to stop his sister, Corrin took a seat next to Kagero, wondering if his old friend could give her some insights on recent developments.

"You seem much more at ease than you used to be," Corrin commented, "that tenseness I used to see in your shoulders has dissipated."

"My liege is back and well," Kagero explained, her expression and tone not betraying her emotions, "and moreover, Lady Kamui seems to be happy again, which in turn has made you less stressed about it. As such, I have little reason to be tense now."

"Good," Corrin gave her something of a pat on the back, "I don't like seeing anyone in this army be that tense if I can help it."

"A fair enough assertion," Kagero nodded, "although was there another reason you wished to speak with me?"

"Always so professional," Corrin shook his head, "I mean, sure I'm the same way a lot of the time, but come now; you don't have to get stone-drunk to be able to unwind. I'm stone-cold sober and even I feel the need for a breather after everything that's transpired."

"Suffice to say, I am content." Kagero nodded. "I do not wish to sound impatient, for that is far from the truth. I must again inquire as to what I can do for you, however."

"Can we not just talk?" Corrin gestured, "if you really want to keep it professional, then what do you think of some of our new companions? Besides Camilla, Ryoma and Hinoka, we've got Nyx and Shura, and sweet little Midori—and those two mercenaries… Sonya and Deen, I believe."

"Nyx intrigues me," Kagero admitted, "I will have to get back to Reina about Shura. Midori seems like a little bundle of joy, although there is a great deal I wish to speak to her about once she has been settled in. I'm sure I will have plenty of time to figure what to say to her though—Kaze and Felicia will have their hands full."

"Right," Corrin had not really considered Midori's assertion that she was the daughter of Kaze and Felicia, who at this point were little more than acquaintances as far as he knew. Obviously he knew there was no way they could have had a 12-year-old behind his back considering that they had hardly met each other more than a few months prior, but it made him wonder—how much did he know about his friends and fellow soldiers? Obviously he did not expect to be told everything, but he nodded in agreement with Kagero.

"I suppose I should speak to them as well when I get the chance," he indicated, "so what about Sonya and Deen? They seem like colorful characters."

"That's an interesting way to describe them," Kagero looked up at him, "I don't imagine you are referring to their hair."

"My sister and I have the same purple hair as them," Corrin shrugged, "So no it's not that. They seem well-travelled, and seem to have a level of sass to challenge my sister. They bicker like a married couple though—it makes me wonder."

"Do you suppose love is in the air?" Kagero raised her visible eyebrow. "And that Midori is the beginning of a great many matches to be made?"

"Perhaps it is," Corrin smiled at Kagero's simplistic beauty. Perhaps he was smitten, or maybe he was just in a good mood from being able to rescue Hinoka and from realizing that Ryoma and Camilla were safe. He was a man of his word, however, and knew that a great many Nohrians, including most of Kamui and Camilla's family, were still under control of the Exalted One—and so he was determined to find them, and more importantly, find a way to free them from the Exalted One's grip.

He was interrupted when there was a phenomenal crash, where Kamui lay out cold with a mug of spilled mead still clutched in her hand. Zenzi was tipsy but still able to stay in her seat.

"Goodness…" she hiccupped, "but lady Kamui… can certainly drink…"

"You seem unwell," Corrin showed concern for his retainer, "Too much to drink?"

"Ugh…" Zenzi moaned, "yes… this is going to… hurt tomorrow…"

"Rest as long as you need," he guided her to Roku, who wordlessly understood what he was doing, "I need to get my sister out of here before she breaks anything else."

The wild scene and the cheering from spectators that was still going on as Corrin left the building did brighten his spirits in a way. Kamui was happy now that Camilla was back; Takumi and Sakura were pleased to be reunited with Hinoka and Ryoma, and several new faces had joined their cause. It wasn't all quite perfect yet, but it was certainly moving in the right direction...

* * *

 ** _CHARACTERS RECRUITED:_**

 **Ryoma:** _The high prince of Hoshido and wielder of the legendary Raijinto. He follows the Bushido code and is quite hard on himself, much like his late father, Sumeragi. As a ruler-to-be, he is calm, collected, and formidable both in combat and strategy. While naturally wary around Nohrians, he is also not afraid of them or of getting to know them. However, he will valiantly defend his own country & family with his life. The worst at knowing when to quit. Born on 1 May (Age 26)  
Class: Swordmaster_

 **Shura:** _An outlaw formerly of the sacked city of Kohga in Hoshido. Trained to serve the royal family as a ninja, but forced to survive as the leader of a group of thieves in Nohr. He is the one responsible for kidnapping Azura, and like his life of crime, he is not overly proud of these accomplishments, simply stating that he did what he had to do to survive. He is more than willing to atone for his crimes. The best long-distance swimmer. Born 21 December (Age 39)  
Classes: Adventurer/Master Ninja_

 **Nyx:** _A Nohrian sorceress preternaturally talented with curses. Cool and composed, she mostly avoids others for a myriad of reasons, many of which she is not willing to explain. Looks much, much younger than she actually is because of one of her curses, and is currently seeking both to atone for her earlier crimes and to seek the Mirror of Truth, which can supposedly fix her lack of aging. The giver of the best gifts, and the most understanding of women. Born on 17 February (Age 65; appears 15)  
Classes: Sorceress/Witch_

 **Deen:** _A mercenary from an unknown land referred to as Rigel. A blunt man of few words, he is not one for idle conversation, and tends to be pragmatic both in speech and actions. Despite selling himself to the highest bidder, gold does not appear to be his primary motivation, and so he is not afraid to pledge more loyalty to his employer if he deems them worthy of his time and skills. The most ambitious explorer. Born on 22 September (Age 31)  
Class: Rigelian Dread Fighter_

 **Sonya:** _A mage from an unknown land referred to as Rigel. A cool, unyielding woman who exudes great confidence, she revels in her femininity, feeling that those who don't express themselves as they please are wasting their own potential. She has a particular loathing of cults and gods, and while this hatred seems rooted in her past, she dislikes bringing it up to the point of agitation if people pry. The fondest of bitter delicacies. Born on 21 March (Age 26)  
Class: Rigelian Priestess_


	91. Chapter 91: A Mother's Return

**AUTHOR'S NOTES:** _This chapter deals mainly with the elephant in the room regarding Ryoma and Camilla (especially considering that Camilla has a huge role in this story), and touches a bit on Beruka's character. Since she plays an integral part in Oboro's story later on (given Oboro's important role in this story as well), I felt it was important. Without spoiling anything, the next chapter will also cover what Kaze and Felicia did after Midori gave them the run-down of what she knows/is willing to share.  
Happy Reading!_

 **CHAPTER 91: A Mother's Return**

 _Sing with me a song of Service and Love…_

Corrin made it a priority to try and learn of an approach on how to get to Nohr without getting the Garon, Iago, or the Exalted One's eyes on their backs. He was assisted in this regard by Anna, who seemed to have a neutral political reputation, and by Shura, who had learned a great deal about Nohr during his exile. To his surprise, Beruka also volunteered to assist in this regard.

"Why it it such a shock?" the small bob-haired woman tilted her head, "the brothers and sister of my liege are important to me because they are important to her. Besides, are we not all in the same army, with you at the helm as our leader, Hoshidan?"

"I'm not opposing your assistance by any means," Corrin explained, "I just found it surprising is all. It is very much appreciated."

"Then consider me in your service," Beruka declared, "I know a great deal about Nohr, and now that Lady Camilla is alright and well, I feel I can dedicate my time and energy to other endeavours to help against the unholy crusade of the Exalted One."

"Well then," Corrin smiled at her even if she did not return the expression, "I thank you for your service and assistance, Beruka."

"No worries," Beruka replied calmly. "Farewell for now, Lord Corrin."

Almost as if he was waiting for her outside of Corrin's chamber, however, Beruka ran into Azama. The two had not really spoken much, but Azama had also not been in New Kamui too long; people were still getting acquainted with both each other and with the magnificent castle that Kamui and Lilith had built.

"Oh, Beruka," whether he was waiting for her or if their meeting had been by chance, Azama wasted no time in getting the small woman's attention. "May I have a moment of your time?"

"Hmm?" Beruka turned, "what do you want? Make it swift."

"I've heard you are an assassin of notable repute back in Nohr," Azama commented, "slaying people and sending them to the void that awaits you, or whatever it is that you believe."

"You shouldn't believe everything you hear," Beruka commented idly, heading for the door. If Azama wanted to continue the conversation, he would have to follow. "Especially about what I do or don't believe when it comes to religion."

"Oho, is that so?" Azama followed Beruka with an almost annoying level or persistence, "is that so? Well either way I have another burning question for you."

"Fine, keep this one short too."

"So is the best part for you when you pull off a thrilling murder? Or is it the piles of gold that drive you? If you truly are religious, I tremble to think of what gods you're appeasing, or is satisfaction the ultimate end goal?"

"I've never felt satisfied," Beruka riposted without so much as batting an eye. It caught Azama off-guard enough that he didn't follow her.

"Oho," he mused to himself, "I must've gotten on her bad side… but does she even have a non-bad side?"

Incidentally, Beruka had gone to see what Camilla intended to do with the shrines that had been built in her and Ryoma's memory. They seemed a bit unnecessary now that the army knew both of them were still alive.

It turned out that that was where Camilla was, and she had personally remodelled the shrines to be to Sumeragi and Mikoto. Garon, for whoever or whatever he was now, was still alive, and Camilla had no desire to honour her own mother, and so she felt it fitting instead to honour a queen whom she had become close friends with, however briefly. Since Ryoma was also still alive, he didn't need a shrine either, and so Camilla rededicated it to his father Sumeragi. Miraculously, she was able to pull this all off without anyone noticing until she was adding the final touches to Mikoto's shrine.

The first to spot her was Takumi, although Hinoka, Sakura, and finally Ryoma soon arrived at the scene. Camilla either pretended not to notice them or had been so enthralled in her work that she didn't turn to pay them heed until she had finished.

"Camilla," Ryoma was the first to say anything, "is this…?" he trailed off.

"Well, originally it was shrines to you and I when everyone else thought we were dead," Camilla giggled, "but I figured we don't really need to be honoured for deaths we never experienced, and so I figured I would modify them in favour of lost loved ones that most of us still miss."

"It's… it's beautiful." Sakura gazed upon Camilla's craftsmanship, also getting a little emotional as she remembered the loving mother she had lost in such a brutal tragedy.

"Also, I'm adopting all of you, by the way." Camilla added in an almost comical move. "There's no getting around it either. You're all my children now."

"W-what!?" Takumi and Hinoka gawked almost simultaneously. Camilla might have burst out laughing if she did not notice Ryoma move to make a remark.

"While I appreciate the sentiment, Camilla," he spoke up, "Such a thing might make our relationship a lot more awkward…"

"Oh, not actual children like that," Camilla howled with laughter, "it's more a symbolic thing than anything, but I've done it with Kamui, with Xander, and with Leo and Elise. It's just what I do."

"Do we have a choice in the matter?" Takumi tilted his head.

"No." Camilla giggled before pulling him into an embrace. Despite his initial protesting, Camilla's touch became a lot gentler and motherly. It was not Mikoto, but for a moment Takumi actually felt at peace, as Camilla whispered things to him.

"I cannot replace what you lost, but you deserve to be happy all the same, darling." Camilla told him, "Do not let your fears of being overshadowed consume you. You are formidable and have an important role all on your own. If not for yourself… your retainers idolize you." This included Hinata, who found a formidable and graceful role model in his liege, but also Oboro, who had almost turned Takumi into an unwitting crutch. He had, after all, saved her from taking her own life all those years ago, and Oboro never let that fact escape her.

There was something odd about Camilla, or so Takumi mused as Camilla loosened the hug, Weather it was just years of honing this practice or if she just had that unique touch that most mothers did, he had felt much more comfortable in her embrace that he had expected to. He tried to hide that he had enjoyed it, but whether or not he was successful was a mystery for the ages, for Ryoma, Hinoka, and Sakura said nothing. Camilla's eyes moved and fixated on Hinoka next, however, and she stepped back.

"I'll be alright, Camilla." she shook her head, "Thanks though."

"No need to lie to yourself, darling," Camilla approached her and pulled her into that loving embrace. "Momma Camilla might have a sense of humour, but she's not about to trivialize your loss. You've been through a lot recently, and I don't imagine things have been too great between now and Mikoto's death until just recently."

"I miss her." Hinoka whispered in a soft whimper. "It was hard enough to steel myself after Kamui was taken from us, but then mother died, and my mind was hijacked, and then I had to rely on Sonya and Deen for guidance to the Dragon's Trials, and… it's just so easy to feel so weak and vulnerable after all of that."

"Everyone has their moments of weakness, love..." She ran her fingers gently through Hinoka's short but very thick hair, "Even me. That's not called being weak. It's called being human."

Hinoka had been skeptical about how Takumi could be calm in that moment being so close to Camilla, but as she rested in Camilla's arms she suddenly understood it. It wasn't the therapeutic type of calmness that Sakura exuded, but whether she had honed it or just bore it naturally, Camilla had a very warm, motherly presence to her—a sensation Hinoka had not expericned since before Mikoto had died.

She was snapped out of it after Camilla gave her cheek quite a pinch, but she couldn't actually get mad at it as much as just growl and then quietly complain that her warrior's pride had been hurt as she mumbled unintelligibly to herself.

"You're so cute," Camilla giggled, before opening her arms to invite Sakura for her turn.

Unlike Hinoka or Takumi, Sakura didn't exactly try to hide the emotions that had overcome her as she realized just how much she missed her mother. She came right up to Camilla and gave a heavy sigh into her chest as Camilla breathed in her scent. Unbeknownst to any of them, due to Camilla's own skill with concealing things, her own heart ached for her family that had been under the Exalted One's control for quite a while now. Sakura's unique ability to soothe someone without even doing anything apart from existing helped calm Camilla's nerves.

"You poor beautiful darling…" Camilla lifted Sakura off the ground and protectively into her arms, "you are very much like your mother in so many ways… and would that I could be half the woman she was, I would be content with myself. I do hope I'm not too overbearing with you."

"N-no… you're not." Sakura whispered, "I just… I get a little overwhelmed sometimes, especially around people who aren't my close family."

"Well then," Camilla giggled, ruffling her soft pink hair, "I'll have to work a little harder on becoming part of your family then." She let Sakura back down onto her feet with a kiss on the head, and then turned to Ryoma, her uncovered eyebrow going up and her arms opening. Not about to back down from the 'challenge', he put his arms around her and gave her a firm but friendly slap on the back. Camilla nuzzled his cheek and giggled. "I apologize in advance if my reaction to you is a little less… familial." she whispered, as to not draw too much attention from Hinoka, Takumi, and Sakura, who were still there. "But regardless of where our relationship goes… know that you can talk to Momma Camilla about anything."

Despite this (weakly-attempted) subtlety, Hinoka caught on that there was more here than met the eye, and she addressed it.

"Big brother…" she raised her eyebrow, "is there something you're not telling us?"

Oh, there was, and Ryoma and Camilla both exchanged looks that wordlessly said now was not the time to try and explain it all—especially since that Tiamo girl had looked an awful lot like Hinoka, and to tell his younger siblings that they had children from the future was not exactly on Ryoma's agenda right now, despite Midori existing.

"Princess Camilla and I may have formed bonds stronger than we had anticipated while we helped each other escaped the cursed lands." Ryoma explained, "I suppose we have no reason to hide it from you."

"I'm not saying I'm opposed to it or anything, but it's kiiind of awkward," Takumi scratched the back of his head with one hand and shrugged his other arm, "at least to me. But, it's your choice and everything. I dunno. Maybe I'm just the weird one about it."

"It might take me a little while to get used to," Hinoka admitted as well, "You and Camilla courting, I mean. But hey, I hope it works out and such, if that's the direction you two want to go."

By contrast, Sakura's words were pure reinforcement.

"I'm so proud of both of you!" she smiled. "I… I should write this down or something…" she trailed off before heading back to the castle. Hinoka and Takumi also dispersed, before Camilla exchanged a look with Ryoma.

"Think she's going to spill it?" she chuckled.

"I doubt it," Ryoma shook his head, "Sakura is polite with personal information or secrets, even if ours is not necessarily a secret. Of course, she tends to wear her emotions on her sleeve, and so if someone got it out of her…"

"If or when Kamui gets wind of it the whole castle will know within the hour." Camilla laughed.

"So be it." Ryoma shrugged with a chuckle, "Or would you rather it not be that way?"

"Deny my feelings for you?" Camilla laughed, stealing a kiss. "Perish the thought…"


	92. Chapter 92: Rumours and Clarity

**AUTHOR'S NOTES:** _I was devoid of internet at all this last week, which complicated posting this story, as well as writing most of it, since I used to write the bulk of this fic on a Google doc. Whatever the case, I'm back with another chapter, and we'll get at least three more at a semi-regular interval due to my planning ahead. Anyhoo, here's that long-awaited closure between Kaze, Felicia, and Midori, among other things. Love is in the air.  
Happy Reading!_

 **CHAPTER 92: Rumours and Clarity  
**

 _Sing with me a song of Love and Success…_

While many of the newcomers to New Kamui were still getting settled in, there were a couple of long-timers that were busy trying to wrap their heads around the craziest spin on their day since the war begun. For Kaze and Felicia, Midori's existence painted a rather clear picture of their future together, whether she was from an alternate realm or not.

"W-Wouldn't you say this is all a bit sudden?" Felicia stammered. She was used to serving Kamui, but had not really expected a happily ever after on that front, especially considering Kamui's eyes not only for men, but also for a couple of particular men in her army.

"'Tis more sudden than I would have preferred," Kaze admitted, "But not necessarily unwelcome in my eyes. You're a good person, Felicia."

"Is that why you drop by so often?" She tilted her head, "I-I mean, I've heard enough about how Lord Corrin or Lady Kamui low-key asked you to watch on me, but… sometimes you come by even when I'm not doing anything risky."

She paused. "Oh no… are you just there to make sure I don't make mistakes? I mean, I might blunder around a lot, but I'm not always so danger-prone!"

"It's not like that at all," Kaze let out a soft chuckle and a sigh, "Perhaps once or twice, sure. But really, part of why I came by so often as of lately is because I find you very charming. You're a very kind and genuine woman, and I admire that."

"And you're not?" Felicia raised her eyebrows, "Come now; I've seen you flanked by women who shower you with gifts any time you head to the market."  
"Right…" Kaze scratched the back of his head and his cheeks flushed a little pink, "That is different though, and not exactly something I control. I merely do a good turn here or a good turn there—much like you, actually."

"Well sure, but you're a ninja!" Felicia exclaimed, "You're swift and dexterous and could probably balance on your pinky or something. Meanwhile I trip over my own feet half the time."

"That's… not my point, actually." Kaze explained, "Obviously I do not wish to alienate someone merely for saying thanks, but what I admire about you is that you're earnest and sincere. With you I can observe your actions and know that, despite your successes or failures that you give it your all. There is no pretense, no delusion or illusion, and no underhanded scheming. You present yourself at face value, Felicia, and to me, that face value is extremely high."

"This… this isn't just because of Midori, is it?" Felicia asked before stammering, "N-not that I don't trust you! It just seems…"

"All Midori did was expedite what I had perhaps already been feeling," Kaze clarified, "So perhaps her coming into our world was for the best."  
Perhaps it was her father's ninja skills, or maybe her mother's mild-mannered-ness, but it was only moments after Kaze had said this that Midori poked her head in the door.

"Oh!" she exclaimed, "mama, papa; I was looking for you!"  
"What can we do for you, Midori?" Kaze asked her, looking the youngster straight in the eyes.

"I just…" Midori fidgeted for a moment, "I got kinda worried that maybe I showed up too early. And I don't want you two to end up not together cuz of anything I said or did. So I… well, I guess I got a little scared and I don't even know any more." She whimpered, but it was Felicia who 'came to the rescue', so to speak, and put her arms around the little one.

"Midori, sweetie, you did nothing wrong!" she promised, "I know what it's like to feel awkward and out of place… but the people I surrounded myself with encouraged me to always do better, and were always supportive of me even when I blunder around the way I do—w-which happens a lot. Heh."

"Regardless of what happens here," Kaze added, "I do not think it will affect the world from which you came, Midori. Despite that, I have little doubt that Felicia and I will remain together, if her feelings towards me match any of mine towards her."

"Of course!" Felicia agreed, "Although now I'm curious. What was your world like?"

"It… wasn't very pleasant, really." Midori frowned, staring at the ground, "I mean, our little family was, and so were my older siblings, but with that whole curse thing the Exalted One mess… well that's part of why we're here. I hope your army can find my friends soon too."

"Older siblings?" Kaze blurted out the same thing that had crossed Felicia's mind, "how many older siblings did you have where you came from? Did you have any younger ones?"

"I had two older brothers and an older sister!" Midori smiled for a moment, "I was the youngest of the four. But I… I don't think they made it."

Midori was sad again, and this time Kaze hugged her. "I don't know how many of your friends are still out there," he whispered, "but we will keep you safe as well as any of your friends that we find."

"Oh, thanks a bunch!" Midori forced a little smile, since remembering that her three older siblings were dead in the world she had escaped from was still a pretty heavy burden for her to bear, "if either of you get sick or anything, let me know. I can brew up some medicine to make it all better!"

With another happy smile, Midori gave both her parents a hug and then skipped away.

"She's adorable!" Felicia threw her arms around Kaze after Midori was out of earshot. "I love her and I love you, Kaze. I… uh, I hope that wasn't too forward."

"Not at all," Kaze whispered, planting a kiss on her lips, "Thank you for having me, Felicia."

"I should be thanking you for putting up with me and all my clumsy blunders," Felicia chuckled sheepishly, "I know I used to try everyone's patience back at the Northern Fortress…"

"If they do not see you for what you're worth, that is their loss." Kaze smiled at her. "for I love you for exactly who you are—and that isn't about to change for the world…"

The Drunken Princess was oddly quiet that afternoon due to Kamui's absence. Kagero and Oboro were also absent for whatever reason, which left Scarlet and Reina without two of their Red Maiden partners. Reina's first suggestion was Sonya, who upon hearing of the tavern where they played cards and gossiped about things was all on board that train.

"Nothing like a few games of cards with a fine wine and some succulent banter," she purred, "although there's only three of us; who's our fourth?"

"Well, I would have suggested Shura," Scarlet pointed out, "but Reina seemed against that, which means we know what we're going to gossip about this evening.

"There's always the small one," Sonya suggested, gesturing towards where Sakura was wandering the grounds. "If nothing else, I suppose she'll prevent any tension from forming."

"You noticed that about her too, hmm?" Reina cooed, "well why not see if she'll join us; or at least if she can direct us to someone else who is willing, if not her."

Sonya approached the little princess with that cool, unyielding confidence she exuded everywhere. Even though she had not exactly tried to be quiet or sneak up on her, Sonya's presence still startled little Sakura, who squeaked both from surprise and from shyness.

"Oh, Sonya…" she looked up at who approached her, "I-is everything alright?"

"Everything is just wonderful," Sonya gave a sincere smile, I did not mean to intrude, small one; I simply had a request. See, our little gossip corner needs a fourth for Red Maiden, and we trust you enough to join our circle…"

"That's very kind of you… I think?" Sakura absentmindedly twirled a lock of her hair between her fingers, "but I've never been very good at gossip. Perhaps ask my sister Hinoka? She should be getting through with her shift at the armoury any moment now."

"I never did take her as the talkative type;" Sonya chortled, "she seems much more like the 'go-and-do' type not unlike Deen. Still, she's a good woman; and we both owe her."

"She does love card games though, believe it nor not." Sakura smiled shyly, "E-Either way, thanks for putting that much trust in me. It… it means a lot…"

"Just know that the invitation will remain extended," Sonya cooed, "you remind me of a little friend I met in Rigel back in my day… but pay me no heed. It's nothing important."

Despite her sultry and somewhat standoffish attitude, Sonya was actually very sociable, and managed to convince Hinoka to join them. She managed to be a formidable opponent in the first two games, and when the 3rd round commenced, that was when the inevitable gossip resumed.

"Call it a hunch," Hinoka's tone grew somewhat rhetorical, "but I get this lasting feeling Oboro's got some serious hots for my brother."

"She's a good woman, all things considering," Reina nodded approvingly. "I'm honestly surprised that she grew so attached to a Nohrian princess of all people."

"It's good for her," Scarlet beamed, throwing down the Red Maiden card much to the displeasure of the other three players, "For as much as she hates Nohr, she seems to forget how 'Nohrian' Princess Camilla is when she's around her."

"She's a pleasant young woman," Sonya sighed dramatically as she was forced to take a rather heavy trick, "her fashion sense is impeccable if nothing else. I'll certainly be commissioning her after our next job, make no mistake about it."

"Speaking of Lady Camilla though…" Scarlet grinned ear to ear, "She and Prince Ryoma…"

"Mixed feelings here," Hinoka admitted, shuffling the cards and dealing out hands for a 5th round, "although I think it's mostly from old wounds. He seems confident and she seems thrilled; I feel like they haven't told us everything about what happened in the demon kingdom; and as much as I'd like to hear about it… it's not my business if they don't wish to share it—curse or otherwise."

"It would certainly have a very positive and uniting aspect to your country, if you ask me." Sonya piped up, passing three cards to Reina on her left, "The woman I used to travel with turned out to be a Zofian Princess, and she married a young man from Rigel, who later united the continent. Obviously the circumstances could differ from place to place, but that's usually how marriages go, especially when they're not just political."

"I think they're adorable too," Reina grinned as she organized her cards and played her first one, "and with that little youngster Midori skipping around, it makes me wonder just how many more of these fine men and women have children from this sundered future."

"Ugh, I'm not ready for children," Sonya shook some loose bangs from her face, "they'd deserve better than me, at any rate."

"I'm gonna have to agree with you there." Hinoka nodded, briefly meeting eyes with Subaki as he entered and approached the counter to order a drink, "I mean, about myself obviously; I'm not judging you or anything, Sonya."

"Manners or not, you *are* still a princess, Lady Hinoka," Sonya chortled, "and more than that, Deen and I still owe you for finding us."

"Come now; you did more for me than I did for you." Hinoka shook her head as she led the next trick, "anyone could have given you directions."  
"I'm not exactly known for modesty or humility." Sonya shook her head, "and while I respect my superiors, I don't exactly butter them up or try and schmooze. The point is, is that you've earned my respect, princess. That doesn't happen often."

"So from your descriptions of Rigel," Scarlet cooed, "it sounds not unlike Nohr in many ways. Any particular thoughts on how the inevitable plunge into that abyss will go?"  
"If it was anything like Rigel I would simply let you in on 102 different ways to sneak in," Sonya chuckled, "well," Hinoka raised a finger before playing another card, "I'm sure Corrin would pay you extra if you could assist us in infiltrating the country."  
"I'll talk to my dim-witted companion about it sometime soon," Sonya chortled. "Odds are though, that you have yourself a deal."


	93. Chapter 93: The Hunted Hunter

**AUTHOR'S NOTES:** _This was a really fun chapter to write, what with all the wild awkward scenes as we are introduced to an unexpected newcomer, who is also one of the "Harbingers of Fate" I've spoken a great deal about. It also inadvertently confirms another pairing, but considering that we get some pretty solid proof in the upcoming chapter and the pairing in question wasn't exactly a subtle one, I wouldn't exactly call it a spoiler. Also, Kamui is being Kamui again.  
Happy Reading!_

 **CHAPTER 93: The Hunted Hunter**

 _Sing with me a song of Truth and Surprise…_

Corrin was a man of his word, and so with his sister's insistent requests that they try and find a way into Nohr as soon as possible, he and many of his soldiers were working on that very thing. It did not stop plenty of other things from happening in New Kamui in the meantime, with some being pleasant, while others were less so.

Mozu had just gotten back and cleaned up from a hunt and was on her way back to New Kamui when she ran into Rinkah and Saizo who were courched as if waiting for something.

"Get down," Saizo warned, and to his slight surprise, Mozu did exactly as she was told as she crouched next to the two of them.

"What's the matter?" She whispered, "We under attack or somethin'?"

"Not yet," Saizo grunted, "but we're likely about to be."  
"Crikey…" Mozu shuddered, shaking off very unpleasant memories of prior surprise attacks in her life that she would much rather not think of, "well shucks; shouldn't we warn someone?"

"Not if it gives away our position," Saizo replied without skipping a beat. "Stay low and watch or listen for movement. Something's coming from the west."

"Don't stress it too much, kid," Rinkah whispered, "we can handle it, and Saizo's just a grump—moreso than me even, and that says something."  
"Don't push your luck, Nayeli." Saizo warned, and both Mozu and Rinkah could have sworn that there was something of a smirk from beneath his mask. After learning of Midori's relation to Kaze and Felicia, Mozu couldn't help but wonder what was in store for her, if anything at all. With how much Saizo and Rinkah bickered on a regular basis, Mozu could only imagine the type of couple they would be. News of Ryoma and Camilla's relationship had reached her ears as well, and she thought they were cute together. It made her wonder if she had a prince out there waiting for her. She didn't really have eyes for Takumi, and had not really met Leo either. Xander she had seen briefly and heard much about whenever Nohr came up, although he was way out of her league. Still, maybe she had been reading too much _Dancers and Diviners_ and fantasizing about ending up with some powerful king-to-be the way the dancer from the books did, but a girl could dream, right?

Mozu heard noises and pulled out her bow. A small blue-haired boy raced by, but not before Mozu shot an arrow with frightening accuracy at him. It struck the hood of his garment and pinned it to the tree he had just run past, effectively clotheslining the youngster and stopping him dead in his tracks.

"Wait!" he shouted, unaware of where his assailants were, "don't kill me! I'm trying to run from the REAL monsters! I promise you!"

What really grabbed the attention of Mozu, Saizo, and Rinkah, however, was the ornate bow that the young man kept a death-grip on. Takumi didn't let too many people touch it, but even Mozu recognized the distinct shape and glow of the Fujin Yumi.

"Where did you get this?" Saizo appeared next to the blue-haired boy , freeing him from Mozu's arrow, but gripping the bow to prevent him from running off unless he wanted to leave it behind.

"My dad gave it to me!" the boy snapped, "it's all I've got left of him—and a token of my mom…" He shifted his hand to reveal a small orange ribbon near the handle tied much like the massive ribbons Oboro wore on the back of her clothes.

"Waaaaait…" Rinkah put two and two together almost immediately, "are your parents named Takumi and Oboro by *aaaany* chance?"

The boy gawked. "you knew them?" he kept a grip on his bow, refusing to let Saizo take it. "Look, I can explain everything, but first you gotta let me go so I can help you take out the guys coming after me!"  
"Who's coming after you, and why?" Saizo demanded. "And who are you?"  
"I'm Kiragi Ikarayu," the youngster explained, "now hurry! The invisible soldiers are coming now!"

"Invisible soldiers, eh?" Mozu gripped her bow, pivoting with remarkable speed and grace and aiming at the unseen foes, "say no more. Saizo, let the kid go now!"

"You have a great deal of explaining to do, child." Saizo warned, releasing his grip on Kiragi's Fujin Yumi,

"and I'll be happy to explain it as best I can once we're safe, yeah?" He offered, "I don't wanna die, and I hope you all don't either—especially if you knew my parents."

"Knew?" Rinkah brandished a heavy club, "I dunno if you realize what world you're in right now, hun, but here and now, your mom and dad are both alive."

 _"Midori was right…"_ he whispered under his breath before loosing a wind arrow, where it struck the air. The way it fell a moment later made it clear that Kiragi had struck an invisible soldier, and ma moment later, his arrow was met with a metal one from Mozu, whose shot was just as accurate. A shuriken from Saizo took out a third assailant, and Rinkah zigzagged between the projectiles, violently slamming her club against anything that moved or flickered. After a few moments, there was brief silence.

"There might be more, but that should be most of them for now." Kiragi explained, "now, if you guys can find a safer place for us to talk, I'd be happy to tell you my story. I'm no liar; I promise."

"Shucks," Mozu turned to the others, "I trust him, and that's not something I just blindly throw out and around to everyone, y'know?"

"There's a castle not far from here." Rinkah noted, "And it looks like we're going to be playing matchmaker once again. Let's get moving."

Saizo, Rinkah, and Mozu marched Kiragi to the castle, and all the way to Corrin.

"Go find Midori," Saizo turned to Rinkah, before turning to Corrin. "Milord, while Rinkah and I were out settling our differences, we happened across this young man, who claims to be related to Lord Takumi, and claims this as proof."

He brandished Kiragi's Fujin Yumi, but the youngster snatched it back with such fervor that even Saizo was admittedly impressed.

"It's mine from my dad!" he insisted. "Look, do you think I'm some kind of fancy storyteller like the guy who wrote _Dancers and Diviners_ or something? I'm like 13. There's no way I could have mad eall this up if it wasn't true."

"May I see that weapon for a moment," Corrin requested, "I'll give it back; I just want to look at it."  
"As long as you don't mind me right there to make sure of that, then by all means, look at it as long as you need, friend."  
"I frankly trust the little guy," Mozu piped up, "if he's got some nasty ulterior motive, I couldn't for the world take a stab at what it was."

"I believe you, Mozu," Corrin nodded, "and I believe him. This Fujin Yumi, for whatever it is, looks slightly older and more worn than the one Takumi carries. Mozu, could you do me a favour nonetheless and go fetch Takumi for me? He'll want to see this. Bring Ryoma, Camilla and Kamui too if you can find them. They'll want to know about this."

Rinkah returned first, with Midori in tow. Kaze and Felicia had tagged along out of curiosity, and the moment the two youngsters made eye contact was enough to put one of Corrin's theories to rest.

"Kiragi!?" Midori gawked before racing up to give him a friendly little hug, "how did you get here? How are the others? Is everyone safe?"

"I think so;" Kiragi scratched the back of his head, "I hope so at any rate. I got a bit distracted on a hunt and slipped into a pond. Next thing I know, I was being chased by soldiers, and then this ninja guy and a fire princess abducted me and brought me here. This little farmer girl was with them and she was nice enough to believe my story though, and now here I am. They keep thinking my Fujin Yumi isn't mine though!" At this, he snatched it back, cradling it like it was his most prized possession (which in his defense, it was), glancing around cautiously.

"Corrin," Takumi's voice was the sign of the next person to enter, "I love you and everything, but Mozu just told me the craziest story. Have you been reading your sister's book drafts or someth—?"

He paused as he looked Kiragi in the eyes. The youngster had many of his own features, but the thick blue hair and the brilliant purple eyes looked uncannily like Oboro's. When he saw the Fujin Yumi, he snatched it with a curt "I'll take that back". The scowling glare Kiragi gave him in that moment made it abundantly clear that this was without a doubt Oboro's child. So formidable was that stare that Takumi actually dropped the bow as he recoiled.  
Mozu returned with Ryoma and Camilla in tow right as this took place, and while they had not seen Kiragi during their Sojourn in Valla, they knew just by looking at him that he was one of Midori's friends she had spoken of.

"Look," Takumi raised his hands in defeat, "I'm skeptical because here's a kid that looks almost like me carrying my sacred weapon around and calling it his."

"That's because it *is* mine!" Kiragi insisted, "well, it was yours, dad; but you and mom aren't alive where I came from… so you bequeathed it to me."  
"Well I'm alive he—wait, dad!?" Takumi stammered as the reality hit him.

"Okay," Corrin sighed, "so maybe it would be better to get everyone in here so we don't have to keep repeating the story every time."  
There was a loud bang on the door before suddenly it flew open, with Kamui's foot triumphantly in the air where the now broken lock used to be.

"Holy shit, brother!" she laughed, "I heard the WILDEST story from Rinkah just now; something about Takumi's kid, a copy of the Fujin Yumi, some invisible solders, Mozu, a drunken mage, a few scantily-clad dancers, something about Midori's friends, and then copious amounts of alcohol."  
"The alcohol was your own drinking, sister," Corrin planted his forehead into his palm, "we're sorting the rest out right now though."  
By the time all was said and done, it was confirmed that Kiragi was indeed Takumi's son, and that (as he had been firmly insisting for hours now) the Fujin Yumi he carried was his own. Oboro brought Takumi his own weapon, where everyone kind of glanced between it and the one Kiragi carried.

Ryoma and Camilla clarified it as well, mentioning Tiamo (although not by name) and how she had been seen carrying copies of their divine weapons.

"So assuming he's telling the truth just as those we met in the invisible kingdom were," Ryoma declared, "then little Kiragi is another of their friends. How he got here is of little importance. What matters is that he is here with us now, and we should give him the same welcome we gave Midori."

"Hey," Takumi offered his hand to his future son, "sorry for the superstitions and all, yeah? I'm not sure how ready to be your dad I am right now, but I'll do my best."

"Aww, now you're just being modest," Kiragi giggled, "I might be a sharpshooter, but I bet you could still show me a thing or two about how to kick butt!"

"I'll take you up on that offer," Takumi chuckled, ruffling his hair.

"And I guess I owe Uncle Ryoma a thanks for vouching for me!" he smiled and waved over at Ryoma, who returned a warm smile in return. "Thanks!"

"The truth is like a lion," Ryoma smiled, "let it loose, and it needs no defense—it defends itself."  
"Ooh, that's a good one!" Kiragi beamed, "thanks again!"

"Well," Kamui stated to no one in particular, "now I've got a few more wonderful ideas for the next chapters of Dancers and Diviners, so if anyone needs me, I'll be in my study. Bring me a beer and I might drop hints about how the dancer's going to escape the prison tower!"

"Isn't that a spoiler though?" Mozu gave Kamui a suspicious glare.

"well, if she spends the rest of her days in prison, would I really be planning to write at least 7 chapters past this one?" Kamui retorted.

"Fair point," Mozu nodded, "I'll make sure you get that beer then."

What began as a tense and awkward moment had Kiragi all but settled in by the end of the day, and back to bonding with his father, even if said father was still fairly young. It was only as he scanned the crowds that he realized someone was missing, and so he turned to Takumi.  
"Hey dad?" he looked up at Takumi, "where's mom?"


	94. Chapter 94: The Confession

**AUTHOR'S NOTES:** _I've been a bit busy lately with life and other works, and so I apologize for the slowness of updating. Worry not, however, for I am still here. this might become a biweekly fic for a bit though, but no promises. Anyhoo, with that said, I suppose a lot of people are wondering "when the heck is the romance gonna kick in?" Well, worry not. The time has come. There will still be plenty of other story, but chapters like this one will become a lot more common as more pairings start to crop up, so strap in and get ready for the wild ride. Also, Kiragi has officially joined and his age is revealed-on his birthday, no less.  
Happy Reading!_

 **CHAPTER 94: The Confession**

 _Sing with me a song of Passion and Bonds…_

Oboro had ducked out of the meeting several minutes beforehand, overwhelmed with various emotions ranging from elation to fear to euphoria to embarrassment. Kiragi was proof that in some alternate future, she ended up with Takumi, and here she was now, still too afraid to ever admit her feelings for him beyond the loyalty of being one of his trusted retainers.

Incidentally, two different people either noticed that she was missing, or had happened to come across her by good chance and fortune. The first of these was Hinata, who found Oboro curled up on the edge of the wall, her arms holding her knees up against her face.

"Hey, congratulations!" He offered a warm greeting, "I mean, that's pretty cool that you've got one of those future kids and stuff now too, yeah?"  
He paused after seeing Oboro's unusual position and reaction.

"Are… are you alright, Oboro?" Hinata's romantic interests might have been elsewhere, but he was still very good friends with Oboro considering their zealous loyalty and fondness of their liege.

"I'm… confused," Oboro stuttered, "excited and awkward, and maybe a few too many emotions right now. I… I love him… but is it right? Do I have the right to love a prince who is far above my station?"

"I see nothing wrong with it," Hinata shrugged as he sat next to her, "but of course, my position isn't much higher than yours unless you're maybe counting family status or something. But I also don't think your feelings are one-sided, and if he likes you… well, royalty can pretty much do whatever they want, yeah? And whatever they say goes."  
"How do you feel about it though?" Oboro looked over at Hinata, her face slightly pink.

"Well shoot, as long as you don't try to put me out of a job, I've got no beef with you two forming a relationship. It's not like I'm going to steal him from ya or anything, especially since I'm pretty sure he doesn't even roll that way anyways. As long as I can keep protecting and serving Lord Takumi, then you've got my support for your happily ever after, yeah?"  
Oboro smiled, letting out a slight chuckle. "Always the optimist, aren't you, Hinata?"  
"Well sure, why not?" he shrugged, "Lord Takumi might be my liege, but you're still my friend; competitions and all. I'd be a piss-poor friend if I didn't care how my friends were feeling."

"Well, thanks for your reassurance," Oboro rose to her feet, prompting Hinata to do the same. To his slight surprise she threw her arms around him, and he returned the gesture a moment later. "I've always kind of had this struggle, and not just with the Nohrian crap…"  
"well hey," Hinata smiled, patting Oboro on the back, "you can talk to me any time. We all got problems, and I try to be a good listener most of the time. Tell me what you feel comfortable sharing, and keep whatever's too personal near and dear to ya. I won't pry!"  
 _"Someday, Hinata…"_ Oboro told herself, _"You do deserve to know…"_

Telling him about that pivotal moment during her adolescence where she had nearly taken her own life would just dampen the mood, and it was supposed to be a happy time. Notwithstanding all the awkwardness that had surrounded his arrival, Kiragi was overall well-received, and now much like Kaze and Felicia, Oboro and Takumi joined them as the parents of a future child.

Shortly after Hinata headed over to The Drunken Princess to join the celebrants for a few drinks and some wild entertainment, another figure appeared, wandering the walls in a fairly elegant red kimono.

"Scarlet?" Oboro raised her eyebrow, "I thought you'd be playing cards at the tavern with your friends."  
"I could say the same about you, you know," Scarlet quipped, "we miss you at our Red Maiden circle."  
"I've… just been busy," Oboro scratched her head, "It was wonderful catching up with Lady Camilla after thinking she was dead, and now this…" she sighed, before seizing Scarlet's hands. "I can see my features in Kiragi's face; in his build. Here I've been too afraid to admit how I feel about Lord Takumi, and this kid comes out of nowhere and basically does it all for me. Now I'm being thrown headlong into this relationship and I… I dunno what to do? What's Lord Takumi going to say about it all? What if we reject each other and erase him from history? I'm nervous, Scarlet!"

"Why are you nervous, sweetheart?" Scarlet laughed, "you've got a kid from the future that pretty much proves you get the happily ever after with the guy you're head-over-heels for. What's not to like?"

"I dunno… I guess I was just kind of hoping for a type of courtship… like that fluff Lady Kamui writes about in her stupid books…"  
"And you don't think Prince Takumi can still do that?" Scarlet raised her eyebrow, "sweetheart, it's not like you're getting married tomorrow. The kid is from the future, and barring the scandals that would arise from a prince having a bastard child, Lord Takumi doesn't seem the type to want to rush things either. He's passionate about a lot of things, and so if he feels the same way about you that you do about him, you're golden."

"And what if he doesn't?" Oboro frowned, "what if I get rejected?"  
"Then you get rejected;" Scarlet shrugged, "Sweetie, I'm 31 and I'm still single. Even if that were to happen to you, it's not like you'd have to be unhappy. But look on the bright side: you're beautiful, charming, talented, and you're one hell of a fighter. Let's see those arms."

"Where did you hear that flex story?" Oboro narrowed her eyes.  
"Lady Kamui spilled it," Scarlet laughed, "that night she was so drunk she was clinging to your hip and telling you to 'crush me with your beefy arm' and all that."  
"Gods, Lady Kamui is an idiot sometimes…" Oboro muttered.

"Come on, that was hilarious!" Scarlet gave Oboro a playful push, "but either way, you definitely at least owe Kiragi a chat. I'm sure he wants to meet his mom just as much as he wanted to meet his dad."

Oboro smiled at the thought of having a child. She wondered if she had other children in the future or not; because she had always dreamed of having more than one child growing up.

"Besides…" Scarlet added, "now Lady Camilla and I can start planning your wedding outfits and such…"  
Oboro put her hands to her cheeks and her expression was one of pure excitement at the contemplation. It cheered her up almost immediately.

"Thanks, Scarlet." She grinned, "I needed that boost. Oh, and by the way…" she pulled her short sleeve up to her shoulder, flexing her right arm. She was no Kamui, Rinkah or Benny, but Oboro had some powerful arms, which were easy to see in action any time she wielded heavy spears and lances with such grace and ease.

Incidentally, she found Takumi without Kiragi, which was probably for the better at the moment—at least until she got a few things off her chest. He seemed to want to do the same thing, for he walked with her away from the rest of the crowds who were congregating at the Lottery Hall or the Drunken Princess to celebrate Oboro and Takumi as well as Kiragi's arrival; or in some cases, to simply celebrate for the sake of celebration.

"So…" Takumi broke the ice, "Kiragi kind of means that… you and me…"  
"I know." Oboro nodded, "and I'm an idiot for not telling you sooner, Lord Takumi. I love you. I dunno how it happened in whatever timeline Kiragi and Midori came from, but I hope you can forgive me for these out-of -place feelings."

"Out of place?" Takumi tilted his head.

"You're way above my station; you're a prince of Hoshido, and I'm just a retainer who didn't even come from a noble house or anything. I fell for you years ago, but I knew enough about social etiquette to never get my hopes up."

"I mean sure I thought you were cute," Takumi began, "But there was more that happened that day than just that, Oboro. At first I thought you r affection for me was just from the notion that I had saved you, when really all I did was talk you out of a stupid decision."  
"It was a stupid decision, but by the gods, Lord Takumi, that decision literally held my life in balance!" Oboro exclaimed, "If you hadn't talked me out of it, I'd just be a mess in the Shirasagi courtyard for some poor servant to mop up."  
"Don't say that." Takumi cringed.

"It's true though!" Oboro shook her head vigorously.

"I know;" Takumi stammered, "but… the idea of you… like that…"

"Sorry," Oboro sighed, "I'm a bit overwhelmed right now, and… my out-of-control emotions aren't doing me any favours right now. I should probably dismiss myself before I make an even bigger idiot of myself than Lady Kamui does. Would that I had that kind of confidence and lack of concern."

"Oboro…" Takumi lifted her chin up, "you're so hard on yourself. Look, I'm not the best at this sort of thing either, but I was aware that your feelings for me extended far beyond just an appreciation for me saving your life. We were kids though; we still kind of are in a lot of ways. I'm definitely not cut out to become a father this early, but I can't just *not* interact with Kiragi now, can I? The point is—is that I loved you too. I still love you, I mean. I had just kind of wanted to wait until we were… older? I guess? That's not really the right word either; ah, hell… how does Kamui make it look so easy in those books?"

"OH. MY. GODS." Oboro gasped, clutching Takumi's shoulders, "you seriously read those too!? I honestly would have never thought…"  
"I thought everyone read them?" Takumi raised his eyebrows, "I mean I'm not part of the fangirl club the way you, Zenzi and Mozu are… but _Dancers and Diviners_ is endearing in its own cheesy way."

Oboro's squeal of delight drowned out whatever else Takumi might have said in that moment. It was only after he gasped for air that Oboro relinquished her rather firm embrace with a sheepish apology, and stepped back.

"but hey," Takumi took a deep breath to recover the wind he lost, "long story short, I love you too, Oboro; and I apologize for not making that clear a lot sooner. You seemed so conflicted, and, well… with how you're acting now, it's a bit overwhelming for me to see."  
"It's overwhelming for me too!" Oboro shook her head and her hands, "sorry for putting you through all this, Lord Takumi. It's just… to know that you knew how I felt about you, AND that you feel the same way… I could walk on air with how happy it makes me. I think I'm going to cry."

"Well, just don't go telling Kamui that I went soft," Takumi laughed, inviting Oboro into his arms, "and maybe stave off telling Hinoka until after Sakura learns. She could break it to her a bit easier than either of us could, I think."

Oboro whimpered into Takumi's shoulder, although these were tears of joy.

"Hinata said that this wouldn't get between him and his job, by the way," Oboro smiled, her face red with her emotional tears.

"Well good," Takumi chuckled, still holding her close, "I'd hate to lose him. You'll have to play cards with your lady-friends one of these nights and see if they have any gossip about who he likes. He deserves to be as happy as us, wouldn't you say?"

"In a different way, but of course!" Oboro smiled, "I owe him a great deal all the same. He's hard not to like when you get to the bottom of it."  
"Why do you think I've kept him around all these years?" Takumi quipped, "You know me; if I don't like someone or don't trust them, I don't hesitate to let them know. Finding someone as awesome as Hinata is a high order though—just like finding someone like you is an order that can't be matched."

"I owe you so much already, Lord Takumi…" Oboro sighed elatedly again, "You've literally made all my dreams come true, and I… I just…"  
In a bold but appropriate move, Takumi interrupted her sentence with a kiss to the lips. No one else was there to witness the moment, save Scarlet in the shadows. She wasn't about to go spilling the secret to everyone; and she certainly didn't want to interrupt the moment, let alone ruin it.

"It may have taken Kiragi to expedite us letting out the truth," Takumi smiled after they pulled back, "but it didn't create any of my feelings; it merely revealed what was already there."  
"Likewise," Oboro smiled, her eyes still watery, "although I'm sure you knew that."  
"You were subtle most of the time…" Takumi chuckled, "but I see a lot more than I'm given credit for. All in all, it seems it was for the best though. I love you, Oboro, and I want to make sure you get the treatment you deserve. I'm not one to rush something like this."  
"You'd do that for me?" Oboro didn't doubt that he would; it was more an excited remark.

"When I've got most of Hoshido at my disposal," Takumi laughed, "I'm sure I can spare some time and money to make my sweetheart feel like the most important girl in the world at least once. How does that sound?"

Oboro very well might have swooned if she were a lesser individual, but instead, she simply threw her arms around Takumi again, nuzzling against him and taking in his very scent. To say she was utterly smitten would have been an understatement, and even Scarlet, from her dark corner, couldn't help but get a little gushy over the two lovebirds. It was contagious, and frankly, that was perfectly okay.

* * *

 ** _CHARACTERS RECRUITED:_**

 **Kiragi:** _Oboro and Takumi's son. Enjoys hunting and displays impressive talent in it, particularly with the Fujin Yumi he inherited from his father. He is friendly and outgoing, and is also enthusiastic about life in general. While he seems to have endless stamina and optimism, he is not exactly as keen about his royalty status as some of his other cousins are, and thus comes off as humble in this field as a result. Has the sharpest eyes in the army. Born on 4 July (Age 13)_  
 _Class: Sniper_


	95. Chapter 95: The Border-Strikers

**AUTHOR'S NOTES:** _I've had some HUGE inspiration with a Legend of Korra fanfic recently, to the tune of cranking out over 70,000 words in less than 3 weeks. As such, everything else kind of got put on hold in the meantime as I capitalized on that inspiration surge (which is still running, BTW). Like all my existing WIPs though, I plan on finishing this, even if my update schedule becomes more sporadic and unpredictable. Thanks for bearing with me. Anyhoo, here's a bit more closure on Oboro and Takumi, and a daring plunge into the unknown.  
Happy Reading!_

 **CHAPTER 95: The Border-Strikers**

 _Sing with me a song of Missions and Stealth…_

It was hard not to notice Oboro walking on air over the next couple of days, but it was also hard to blame her for that elation. Kiragi was also thrilled to see that his mother was still alive, and the two had a happy reunion. Oboro laughed at Kiragi's "demon-face", although was also low-key horrified that he had picked up that nasty quirk from her, considering that she associated that tic of hers with a shameful reaction these days. Perhaps Camilla was growing on her.

Despite the typical concerns of a young man, Takumi was not the subject of ridicule or mockery by anyone, least of all his siblings. Hinoka, who Takumi had suspected would be the closest one to any sort of taunting, actually congratulated him. Obviously Sakura was nothing but excited and supportive, and Ryoma had some mature words of wisdom to share.

"I do not know all of the tales that haunt Oboro's childhood," he explained to Takumi one afternoon, "but I have seen her eyes and the way she handles herself enough by now to know that she carries heavy burdens from her past that refuse to let her go."  
"Not trying to be rude or anything here, brother," Takumi commented neutrally, "but you're preaching to the choir on that one."

"Ah, but I hadn't finished," Ryoma chuckled, "what I was going to add was that I am proud of your decision, for one; and that I am happy for her as well. Oboro has suffered a great deal over her short life, and it warms even my heart to finally see her happier than I've ever seen her."

"Well, she's smart, she's pretty, and she's strong and stylish," Takumi smirked, "in many ways she's a great way for me to stay on my toes and make sure I don't get lazy in my own training. Speaking of which… you and that Nohrian…"  
"I would never wish to become a hypocrite," Ryoma nodded soundly, "and so if the relationship between Princess Camilla and I continues to grow, I would treat her with the same love and respect that I would treat anyone I hoped to one day make my spouse. It is not only the Ikarayu way and the Hoshidan way, but really more the way of any respectable man."

Ryoma paused, his eyes meeting Takumi's again a moment later. "And in truth, I owe Camilla my life just as much as she owes me hers. Our sojourn in the Invisible Demon Kingdom was a revelation for us both in many ways."  
"Surely you wouldn't need to fall in love with someone just for saving you though, right?" Takumi reasoned, "I mean I'm not against whatever you do; just trying to clarify things."  
"Of course not," Ryoma laughed, "My fondness of Camilla was done of my own volition. Now if we could just find someone for Hinoka…" This was somewhat rhetorical considering the strong (and supported) theories he and Camilla had about Tiamo, but the last thing Ryoma wanted was for his sister to get thrown into a whirlwind relationship that she wasn't ready for. He would wait and see how it played out. Of course, if Tiamo were to join them the same way Midori and Kiragi had, it would change things around a bit, although he imagined that they were busy with other matters in Valla at the moment. It wasn't that he suspected Midori and Kiragi were weak, but they were small children compared to Kuro and Tiamo, who still looked young, but looked in their early 20s instead of 12 or 13.

"You know me, brother," Takumi smiled, "Sometimes you don't know when to quit and so it falls to me to be the cautious one. I trust your judgment this time though."  
"I'd ask what brought about that happy change," Ryoma laughed, "but I think I already know—and I'm proud of you, brother. I'm both proud of you and happy for you both."

"Thanks," Takumi scratched the back of his head, "it's nice to have your blessing instead of being overshadowed. I hope you and Camilla can figure out, erm, whatever it is you do."

"Of course," Ryoma nodded approvingly, "and I wish you the best as well."  
This was not the only good news that spread around New Kamui, however. After long weeks of searching, Corrin's spies (including Kaze, Saizo, Anna, Kagero, and even Reina and Shura) arrived to break the news, which even Kamui found thrilling.

"Seems Shura's story checked out," Anna smirked. "He's found us a way into Nohr."  
"It's dangerous," Shura warned, "and I don't want any of you guys to die on my behalf or from my bad ideas. Kohga suffered enough of that because of me."

"No worries," Corrin reassured him, "It's not like we're just going to send people willy-nilly your way. If you can get a few volunteers to infiltrate the region we can use that to wedge our foot in the door and go from there. We really don't want to face the entirety of Garon's armies with our little group."

"Makes sense," Shura grunted, "Although I don't think I should do the recruiting."  
"I see no need," a sultry voice from behind him spoke up, which turned out to be Sonya, "you want to infiltrate the country? I'm game."  
"I've got some catching up to do with my dear friend Shura as well," Reina cooed, since she had been present at the meeting to begin with."  
"Also, while I cannot vouch for my dim and boorish other half," Sonya quipped, "I'm sure Deen might take interest in going as well."

"I can speak for myself, woman," Deen smacked Sonya's backside. "But she's right, Lord Corrin. I'm in."

The fact that Deen's suggestive action towards Sonya had only earned him a sharp elbow to the arm hinted to Corrin that there may have been more chemistry to the two than he previously thought. It was of little concern to him.

"I'd volunteer too if I could," Kamui complained as she drank a beer, "but Corrin's been talking me out of it for weeks."  
"It's not that I don't trust your capabilities, sister," Corrin stammered, "it's just that…"

"…to put it bluntly," Kagero sighed, "you have about as much subtlety as a Stoneborn and are about as quiet as a Kinshi during mating season."

Sonya, Deen, Reina, Shura, Kaze, Anna, and even Corrin couldn't help but snicker. Only Saizo remained stoic behind his mask, although Kaze could have sworn that he saw his brother's mouth curl up ever so slightly in amusement.

"Exactly my point," Kamui sighed as she threw her head back and emptied her drink, throwing the bottle into the corner of Corrin's study, much to his displeasure, before belching loudly. "But when we come busting through after Nohr realizes we're there, I demand to be on the front lines, yeah?"

"No, I actually think you belong at the back as a last-resort reserve," Corrin said with a straight face. It took Kamui about 30 seconds to actually process this remark, before Corrin gave his sister a smirk.

"Well shit me a symphony, my bother tells a joke!" Kamui laughed as she popped open another beer, "I never thought I'd live to see the day!"

"Don't get used to it," Corrin riposted with a chuckle, "but honestly, sister: I wouldn't dream of putting you anywhere else but the front—more for your sake than mine."

"So now you're concerned about me?" Kamui raised an eyebrow, taking a shot.

"I'm always concerned about you," Corrin smiled, "and I mean—considering how many times you've been spotted streaking naked across the grounds, the fact that your body is riddled with battle scars isn't really a mystery anymore. To me, it's more just that I want you to be safe as much as I want anyone else to be safe. You're my sister, after all."

"And yet we're different as night and day," Kamui took another shot, using her free hand to raise a finger as she spoke.

"I see no reason why that should get in the way of us being close friends." Corrin looked her in the eyes, which caused Kamui to shy away. "I love you, sister—and I care deeply about you."

"Oh come now; don't get all sappy on me like that," Kamui pushed him playfully, "I'm not emotionally mature enough to handle that kind of support!"

"I'll keep that in mind," Corrin tugged Kamui's ear, "but with that said, are the rest of you content with the mission you are about to undertake?"  
"If we weren't," Sonya quipped, "we'd probably just sit around here watching you and your sister get all sentimental with each other. We're ready when you give the orders, Lord Corrin."

"Or Sonya would just swoon into my arms like she did last night." Deen smirked. The way Sonya's face rapidly turned red made a few others in the crowd crack an amused expression, and Deen just laughed when Sonya slapped him across the face.

"You should talk with Princess Sakura's retainer Kazahana one of these days, Sonya," he followed up, "she's got no chill just like you do."  
"No chill, you say?" A flame appeared on Sonya's hand.

"Alright, alright," Kamui was fighting back hysterical laughter here, "you two can flirt later. Burning down my brother's study is my job though."

Eventually, the small group got out the door and left New Kamui entirely as Shura led them to the borders of Nohr. Despite their earlier banter, even Deen and Sonya cooperated and were quiet as they approached the border. Legions of Faceless and Stoneborn that weren't there before lined the crossing, and it was clear that whoever was running the business in Nohr was trying to keep them out.

"Please tell me you aren't planning on the passive approach with these things, love," Reine turned to Shura, to the slight surprise of many of the others.

"Love?" Anna raised her eyebrows, "you two are lovers?"

"Huh boy…" Shura muttered, "yeah, we were a thing for a while, what of it?"

"Come now, Shura," Reina laughed, "is that any way to talk about our old relationship?"  
"Or the two children we had and dumped off in Hoshido?" Shura riposted. "I've done a lot of things I'm not too proud of, and I shouldn't have dragged you into it, Reina."

"Now, now…" Reina laughed, "you're acting like I'm innocent of the crime too. That theory would hold a lot more water if I had bothered to raise them myself, but since I didn't exactly want them thirsting for blood the way I do… hmm, let's not think about it. I smell battle."  
"Appropriate," Saizo grunted, "Let's move."

He, Kaze, and Kagero disappeared into the shadows, prompting Deen and Shura to do the same. Reina was the one to alert the monsters of their presence as they tore through them, while Anna and Sonya kept their distances before launching barrages of arrows and magic at their foes. Ultimately they made quick work of the 'border guards', and then there was an eerie silence save for the occasional thunder from the black, foreboding skies above them.

"Someone had to have heard that," Sonya muttered.

"The good news," Shura grunted, "is that whoever designed security around here figured that the monsters and golems would be enough to stop whoever wanted to infiltrate the border. Fortunately, it seems Lord Corrin chose more capable troops than your average rabble."  
"And here we are," Anna giggled, "no argument there."

"Stay close, and don't get too carried away, Reina," Shura warned, "we're not here to fight; we're here to scout. Why go 8 against 100 when we could meet them on more equal terms."  
"Even then, there aren't too many of us," Anna pointed out, "we're a handful against legions."  
"Well, we do have Princess Kamui," Reina laughed, "I'm sure she'll cut the enemy forces in half by herself—not to mention Princess Camilla and the entire Hoshidan Royal Family."

"I'll say this much," Sonya sighed, gazing up at the hostile skies, "Hoshido is certainly much prettier than Nohr… in a way Nohr reminds me more of my own home though—dark, militaristic, unforgiving. It has a charm that I admire."

"We can admire the scenery later," Kagero explained, "the deeper into Nohr we get, the more we'll get to finally learn about this forbidding place…"

The trek through the Nohrian wilderness was overall uneventful, other than the small party skirting a few towns and Shura marking the elusive path they were taking on a map. Soon they would reach Windmire, and from there, they could make the move—after all, that is where their targets would be.


	96. Chapter 96: Singing Sun, Silent Moon

**AUTHOR'S NOTES:** _I LIIIIIIIVE! Even without the major inspirational binge on another work, I kind of hit a block for this one, but have now picked it back up. I'm not sure about when I'll be able to resume regular updating again, so please bear with me, and thank you to all of those who already have. That said, here's a little pickup chapter before we plunge into Nohr at long last to finally free the remaining royal siblings (and retainers) from that blasted Exalted One's curse.  
Happy Reading!_

 **CHAPTER 96: Singing Sun, Silent Moon**

 _Sing with me a song of Dancers and Skies…_

Reina and Shura led the team deeper into the heart of Nohr, their lead so far proving valuable in terms of preventing them from being seen. The fact that most of the members of said group were stealth experts helped as well, and Sonya, who was perhaps ironically the least stealthiest, still still subtle enough and light on her feet to the point where no one suspected she would give them away—and she didn't. On the other hand, as they got closer and closer to Windmire, it was almost as if the dark skies were growing darker still.

Despite that, and despite the looming thunder that just appeared to be a regular occurrence in Nohr (at least, according to Anna and Shura, both of whom seemed to be fairly familiar with the place), the travel was overall quiet until the massive city was in view. It was still a ways off, but it was clear that this would be the path they would give to Corrin when they returned to New Kamui with the news of their journey.

There was a slight commotion ahead though, which included a swarm of faceless as well as the voice of a young man grunting and calling out. The owner of the voice was not visible in the ruckus, but as Shura, Reina, Sonya, Deen, Saizo, Kaze, Kagero, and Anna turned to each other and all exchanged looks, they knew what needed to be done.

"I'm fairly certain there's a woman in there too," Sonya noted a higher-pitched shout every now and again from the commotion as they listened in. "Unless the man squeals like a girl."  
"We should still use caution," Shura warned, "Faceless or not, it could be a trap."  
"I thought it was the Hoshidans that were notorious for their duplicity," Deen pointed out.

"Don't believe everything you read, darling," Reina brandished her spear, "now I don't know about you guys, but friend or foe, I'm going in. If it's a friend, we saved a good life today. If they're a foe, then I drive my spear through their vitals and the hymn of their passing will be sung alongside those of the Faceless. _Eiko no Hoshido_!"

Reina charged in like a screaming lunatic, to the point where Shura laughed as he drew her bow. Anna giggled, Deen chortled, and Saizo was fairly certain that both Kaze and Kagero stifled snorts.

"Time to dance then," Sonya conjoured up a blast of fire aimed at the nearest monster, and soon the fight had begun once again

There had to be at least three dozen of the monsters, and so the idea that one or two people had been holding them off was rather impressive.

Reina, Deen, and Kagero were the ones primarily in the thick of things, and were thus the first ones to spot the victims of the assault—and were equally surprised at who they were.

It was a pair of dancers; both looked to be in their early 20s at most, and both had soft pink hair. They moved with unsurprising grace and dexterity, the girl in particular proving to be remarkably flexible.

"Ah, fortune favours us at least," the man gave a sigh of relief, a smile on his face.

"And who might you be?" Kagero launched a poisoned dagger from her wrist into a Faceless, which did not kill the monster, but slowed it down enough to prime Kagero for another attack.

"My name is Sol," the male dancer replied, "and my silent moody friend here is actually my twin sister, Luna. You aren't likely to get that out of her just yet though."

"Where do you look familiar?" Shura grunted, "bah, let's clobber these bastards and then I'll remember or something. It's your time to die!"

It went without saying that this was directed at one of the hulking Faceless, and with the barrage of shuriken, arrows, and magic, the monsters went down fairly fast. The dancers used a combination of swords and daggers, and so they were right up there with Reina in the thick of things. The fact that their dances seemed to possess the same mystical quality to them that Azura's songs did was another issue entirely, but that would get addressed after the battle had concluded.

37 against 10 was a much fairer fight than 37 against 2, and so with the reinforcements the dancer twins received, they were soon dusting themselves off from the scuffle. Shura approached Sol again, realizing where he recognized him from.

"Do you know a Nohrian man named Laslow, by chance?" he asked the young man, "Or a woman named Selena?" Sol's slightly messy pink hair was styled very similar to that of Laslow, while Luna's knee-length twin tails were practically a ripoff of Selena's look.

"Hmm…" sol put a finger to his chin, "I can't say I've heard of such names. We hail from Hoshido."

"Are you familiar with a woman named Zenzi then?" Kagero was the one to speak up. Their clothes had the same pinks, blacks, and whites of Zenzi's dancer attire, except they fully covered both dancers' arms and legs. However, Sol's top was open, revealing a central stripe of his chest, while Luna's entire midriff from her waist to just under her breasts was still bare. At the mention of this name, Sol's eyes widened while Luna's already sharp expression turned into a malcontented snarl.

"Why yes, actually." He confessed, "That would be our mother. Is she well?"

"She's just fine, kid," Shura assured him, "so tell your sister to cool it too. We're friends, not foes."

"And Roku?" Luna uttered only two words. Her voice was lower than her appearance might have suggested—much lower than Selena's—and it had a very sharp tone to it.

"He's fine as well," Kagero assured her, "so you could cut out the nasty look."  
Luna gave a 'hmph' before crossing her arms and relaxing her face, although even then she still appeared to be angrily glaring at the newcomers.

"Is… she alright?" Kagero turned to Sol, "We mean you no harm."

"Sister?" Sol turned to Luna, exchanging glances with him before she nodded.

"That's just her resting face." He chortled, "a bit of a malevolent-looking thing, isn't it?"  
"So," Shura interrupted only slightly, "Would you mind explaining what you're doing out here?"  
"If we claimed to be from the future and that we knew some fellows that are children of you three…" Sol pointed at Saizo, Kaze, and Kagero, "would you believe us?"  
"As a matter of fact, we would," Kaze answered, "You know a little child named Midori then, I take it? She's hardly more than a girl of 12."

"Nice," Luna jabbed Sol in the gut with a snarky grin.

"Right, right," Sol scratched the back of his head and chuckled sheepishly, "I forget she came before us. Well, there's your answer. We are the children of your friends Roku and Zenzi."

"How'd you get trapped in this awful place," Sonya flipped her hair with a sigh, "your vibrant outfits and beautiful hair seem very out of place in this dismal setting…"  
"That…" Sol hummed, "that would be a lot of complicated tales involving unpleasant curses, a stroke of unfortunate circumstances, and as of current—secrets. I do hope you understand."

"Lookin' to get into Windmire?" Luna pushed forward, "'cuz that's about the only reason I can see for any idiot to come down this gods-forsaken road."

"That's exactly what we're after," Kaze answered, "Do you know of a way in?"

"We just got out of there," Sol shook his head as Luna groaned, "now you want back in?"

"We gotta get the rest of the family out of there," Shura reasoned, "otherwise who knows what'll happen to 'em? Some of you might get erased from history or something."

"Hngh," Luna grunted, "you want into Windmire? Fine. Let's get you into Windmire."  
For all the zigzagging that Shura's path had taken the group on, Sol and Luna were ruthlessly efficient in carving a path from their current battleground all the way into Windmire's rotten undercity.

"And here we are," Luna crossed her arms. "Now what?"  
"Now…" Shura pulled an orb out of his pack, "we head home and inform Lord Corrin of the news. We're in, and we're ready to make our move."

"Say what now?" Sol raised an eyebrow, "Not to say we're unwilling, but this is a curious notion to me—and what _is_ that thing?"

"Just hold on tight," Anna giggled, "you'll like it."  
They weren't given a choice, and soon the dancing duo found themselves in front of the massive and imposing walls of New Kamui.

"I promise this'll make sense when we get inside," Shura grunted, before alerting the patrol (Hinoka and Subaki, this time) of their arrival.

Saizo, Kaze, and Kagero went their own ways as they vanished in that mysterious way ninjas always seemed to do, although Reina and Shura dropped in on Corrin and Kamui to inform them of the news. Sol and Luna followed them, while Sonya and Deen trailed behind, bantering about some bet they made and how they had a score to settle over drinks. Reina giggled as she heard what she was fairly certain was a hand slapping a woman's backside, and the yelp was definitely Sonya's. Whatever she did to Deen in turn, however, was beyond her earshot.

Shura gave Corrin the story, and he in turn alerted Kamui. As he heard his sister coming, he pulled his door open, only for Kamui to come flying into the room and landing flat on her face.

"ASS!" She growled, "Just let me kick the door in next time!"  
"That's the 9th door you've smashed of mine," Corrin argued, helping his sister, "I'm sick of replacing it—so you can either learn to knock like a civilized person, or your foot's going to meet thin air as you come barreling into my study."

"If I may get this back on track…" Reina cooed, "I think we found a few more of Midori and Kiragi's playmates." She gestured towards the dancing siblings.

"Well fuck me three kinds of sideways," Kamui stared at them intently, as Corrin summoned Roku and Zenzi to get a look at these oddly familiar faces. "You're the spitting images of Laslow and Selena or I'm not a drunken fool!"

"I cannot say we're familiar with those names," Sol admitted in honesty, "My name is Sol, however; and this is my twin sister Luna. We're…" he paused, as his eyes met with both Roku and Zenzi as they entered the room. Even Luna's terse, vicious expression softened as she looked into two pairs of very familiar eyes. Both twins had many of Zenzi's soft features, although the pointed shape of their faces and eyes were definitely Roku's. Sol's hair might have also been a bit coarser like his, while Luna's was definitely the soft fine fluff that was Zenzi's beautiful pink mop.

"Sol and Luna though, guys?" Luna killed the moment almost instantly. "You couldn't have come up with better than that for us?"  
"No," Roku replied bluntly. He couldn't help but admire his future daughter's straightforward behaviour. As uncomfortable as he was around women, there was something about this dancer that just felt right to him. He also cast a look at Zenzi, whose arms were around Sol as they exchanged stories. These two young adults meant that Lon'qu and Olivia had truly died in the future—and that Roku and Zenzi became permanent identities for the two former Feroxis. They were Hoshidans now.

While they were having their little family reunion, Corrin turned to Kamui and smiled.

"We're on our way to the heart of Windmire tomorrow," he promised her, "and then at long last, we're going to get the rest of your family back. Of that you have my word."  
"Hey," Kamui smiled a lot softer than her usual coy or mischievous grins usually suggested, "I trusted you—it just hurt to think about whatever was happening to them. It's been so long, and I just want to see them and make sure everyone's alright…"  
"And we will, sister." Corrin put his arms around her, "We will."

Kamui did not reply, but put her arms around Corrin's shoulders and squeezed. With how important family was to her, she always made it a point to show that affection—and Corrin was literally as close of family as she could get—to the point where Kamui cared for him just as deeply as he cared for her.

Tomorrow was definitely going to be an interesting day though; tomorrow signaled the beginning of Corrin's army's foray into Nohr.

* * *

 ** _CHARACTERS RECRUITED:_**

 **Sol:** _Roku and Zenzi's son. The older twin brother of Luna; and a fiesty, flirtatious dancer, he is both elegant and eloquent, lacking any sort of the shyness or reservation his parents had. Despite his lack of shyness, he is actually fairly introverted, and so after enough socializing he also feels the need to retreat somewhere where he can be alone and recharge. The most amusing embellisher. Born on 18 January (Age 21)  
Classes: Dancer/Swordmaster_

 **Luna:** _Roku and Zenzi's daughter. The younger twin sister of Sol; a fierce and passionate woman of extremely few words. She is swift and powerful, both as a dancer and as a knife-thrower, and tends to let her actions do the talking much more than her words. The few times she does talk, it tends to be in grunts or two-word replies. She is viciously blunt and to-the-point, and an introvert like her brother. The most ruthlessly honest. Born on 18 January (Age 21)  
Classes: Dancer/Swordmaster_


End file.
